THE LAST DAYS OF WINTER
Price: $350.00 Code: 2536 |
Directed by Mehrdad Oskouei
2011, 52 minutes
Purchase: $350 | Classroom Rental: $125
Following his harrowing documentary, It's Always Late for Freedom, director Mehrdad Oskouei continues his exploration of a male juvenile detention facility near Tehran. Last Days of Winter follows these young men in the days leading up to the Iranian New Year, as they take stock of their lives.
With only twelve days to shoot, Oskouei delicately captures the lives of seven young men - all under 15. They have been convicted of stealing sheep, smuggling drugs. Their parents have left them abused and abandoned. All the while the boys retain their playfulness - acting as a band of brothers to each other.
While Oskouei follows their day to day activities at the facility, he also joins them on a holiday excursion to the Caspian Sea where, according the New York Times, a young Oskouei "thought of drowning himself after his father was imprisoned, throwing the family into poverty." With no walls around them, the boys become more open with the documentarian, detailing their plans of the future, family and love. But while the boys play in the sand and collect shells, Oskouei captures in a breathtaking sequence their collective sadness - isolation in freedom.
Last Days of Winter is the second film of Oskouei’s trilogy documenting troubled youth in Iran, following It's Always Late for Freedom (2007) and preceding Starless Dreams (2016).
Official Selection, True/False Film Festival, 2016
Official Selection, International Documentary Edge Film Festival
Official Selection, Middle East Now Film Festival
Official Selection, International Oriental Film Festival
2011, 52 minutes
Purchase: $350 | Classroom Rental: $125
Following his harrowing documentary, It's Always Late for Freedom, director Mehrdad Oskouei continues his exploration of a male juvenile detention facility near Tehran. Last Days of Winter follows these young men in the days leading up to the Iranian New Year, as they take stock of their lives.
With only twelve days to shoot, Oskouei delicately captures the lives of seven young men - all under 15. They have been convicted of stealing sheep, smuggling drugs. Their parents have left them abused and abandoned. All the while the boys retain their playfulness - acting as a band of brothers to each other.
While Oskouei follows their day to day activities at the facility, he also joins them on a holiday excursion to the Caspian Sea where, according the New York Times, a young Oskouei "thought of drowning himself after his father was imprisoned, throwing the family into poverty." With no walls around them, the boys become more open with the documentarian, detailing their plans of the future, family and love. But while the boys play in the sand and collect shells, Oskouei captures in a breathtaking sequence their collective sadness - isolation in freedom.
Last Days of Winter is the second film of Oskouei’s trilogy documenting troubled youth in Iran, following It's Always Late for Freedom (2007) and preceding Starless Dreams (2016).
Subjects & Collections
2016 Criminal & Law Middle Eastern Studies Cinema Studies Psychology & Psychiatry Family Relations Anthropology Children & Young Adult Alcohol & Drug Abuse Islamic Studies
Festivals & Awards
Official Selection, International Documentary Film Festival AmsterdamOfficial Selection, True/False Film Festival, 2016
Official Selection, International Documentary Edge Film Festival
Official Selection, Middle East Now Film Festival
Official Selection, International Oriental Film Festival
Reviews
"A fantastic examination of the human spirit. One of the most startling things about this film is the stark contrast from the boys’ interactions and their reality in prison. One minute, viewers see the boys dancing with each other, singing, painting and playing sports, and the next moment they see them waiting in line with the adult prisoners for a chance to use the telephone. It’s easy to forget where these boys are and all they’ve had to go through in their short lives, but their big brown eyes tell the tales of their sadness." - Vox MagazineRelated Films
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