FIREFLIES

Stranded by accident in the tropical port town of Veracruz, Mexico, thirtysomething Iranian refugee Ramin longs for fate or fortune to grant him passage across the ocean to return to his boyfriend in Turkey. Meanwhile, he waits in exile, exploring life in freer circumstances and seeking connection with a fellow construction worker. Creating a rich atmosphere of sound and image, director Bani Khoshnoudi expertly captures the dislocation and reinvigoration of starting life anew.

Director Bio

Bani Khoshnoudi was born in Tehran in 1977, and moved to the United States during the revolution in 1979. She is a filmmaker, visual artist, and writer whose approach to flm comes from a background in photography and architecture and often deals with themes related to revolution and modernity and its impact on memory, exile and migration. After finishing studies at the University of Texas, Austin, she moved to France in 1999, where she would live for 10 years. In 2004 she made the short film Transit. Her feature Ziba was selected for the Cinéfondation Residency of the Cannes Film Festival in 2009. Her work has shown in galleries and museums in Tehran, NYC, Paris, Cairo, Mexico City, Berlin, and Rotterdam. Since 2009, Bani has lived in Mexico City, where she has just finished her second feature film, Fireflies.