By; Mehdi Yarmohammadi
The short fiction film “Bagh-e Bi Bargi” (The Leafless Garden), directed by Ghazaleh Soltani, had previously competed at festivals such as the Tehran Short Film Festival, the Parvin E’tesami Festival, and the Independent Khorshid Festival, and had also taken part in the SHORT FILM CORNER at Cannes. In its first serious international outing — competing in the main section of the 2015 Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival in France, widely regarded as the most important short film festival in the world — the film stood as Iran’s sole representative, and managed to establish itself as one of the most noteworthy productions of the past year in Iranian independent short cinema. Winning the Best Film award from the Student Jury only cemented its place on that difficult and competitive path.
Ghazaleh Soltani holds a Master’s degree in Cinema from the Faculty of Cinema and Theater at the University of Art in Tehran, as well as a Filmmaking Diploma from the Vancouver Film School (VFS) in Canada.
She had previously made a name for herself with the acclaimed feature-length documentary “…And the Sky Was Blue”, about the life of Ezzatollah Entezami, as well as the short film “Koocheh-ha Barikand” — both of which earned praise at domestic festivals and made successful appearances on the international circuit.
Her film “Bagh-e Bi Bargi” — the story of a family making their way through the noise and chaos of a crowded city and fleeing to a remote spot on the outskirts in search of their dreams — is a work of social realism, shining a light on a class of society that, in today’s world, doesn’t get much of a taste of happiness. And yet, the family’s earnest struggle to reach those dreams, when set against the other characters, elements, and situations they encounter, occasionally takes on a quietly comic tone — a testament to the filmmaker’s sharp eye and intelligence in stretching a personal vision into something that reads as a broader, almost anthropological study of the human condition. In the world of independent short cinema — a space built for discovering thoughtful, reason-driven perspectives on modern life — this kind of work is absolutely worth paying attention to.
The Independent Short Film Support Base sat down for a candid conversation with Ghazaleh Soltani — writer, director, and producer of the film — to shed more light on the Clermont-Ferrand festival and to capture her experience of being there firsthand.
We’d love it if you’d introduce yourself and tell us a little about your film.
— I’m Ghazaleh Soltani, director of “Bagh-e Bi Bargi.” The film tells the story of a family making their way through the hustle and bustle of Tehran, heading somewhere far away where a man is waiting to sell them a dream.
What caught your attention first when you arrived at Clermont-Ferrand?
— What struck me was seeing people of all walks of life at the festival — especially middle-aged and older audiences — and the warm, enthusiastic reception they gave to the screenings. They seemed to follow the films with a real sense of seriousness and investment, and that was something both I and the other directors in attendance found genuinely fascinating.
Were there any special programs planned at Clermont-Ferrand for specific audiences?
— The festival had selected a number of films for children and young audiences, and schools would bring their students in for the screenings. Afterward, Q&A sessions with the directors had been arranged, which was another highlight of the festival.
In fact, every age group in that city was caught up in the festival, and that really helped the event spread and take root throughout the whole city. That kind of seriously engaged short film audience was something that surprised and impressed not just me, but every filmmaker I encountered there.
In your view, what set that engaged short film audience apart from other audiences?
— They had real etiquette and a genuine culture of watching films. They were deeply respectful — no one walked in or out during a screening, no one left until the credits had fully rolled and the lights came back on, and they applauded twice: once at the end of the film, and again at the end of the credits. They watched short films like true professionals.
Can you describe how the film screenings were organized at Clermont-Ferrand?
— There were two main halls in the cultural center that served as the festival’s main venue — one dedicated to experimental films and the other to fiction films. But there were also other venues scattered around the city, including university halls that weren’t purpose-built for screenings — conference halls, for instance — that still hosted festival screenings as part of the official program. One important distinction worth mentioning: in the main festival venue, films were screened simultaneously with both English and French subtitles, while the venues outside the main hall only showed films with French subtitles. I actually got to see my own film in one of those university conference halls as well.
What were the most important sidebar programs for general audiences?
— The sidebar had a whole range of different programs. One of the festival’s thematic focuses, for instance, was on cycling — and that theme even spilled out into the city itself. Another focus was on Chinese cinema.
What were the most important sidebar programs for the filmmakers taking part?
— One of the highlights was a series of masterclasses — face-to-face meetings with programmers from international film festivals — which you had to register for in advance. I had actually come across a similar setup before at the SHORT FILM CORNER at Cannes. Among the festivals represented in that section, I can mention Locarno, Venice, Berlin, and the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight. It was a bit like a marketplace — a chance to pitch your film to these festivals and at the same time learn more about the conditions for entry, with the most prestigious among them generally only accepting world premieres.
Another interesting feature was a dedicated slot in the program for buyers, television networks, and others — at a set time and place, they would walk through the acquisition terms and details of their company or channel, and there was also a structured Q&A session, which made that segment extremely popular. It was essentially a showcase for those who had booths at the Clermont-Ferrand film market and were in the business of buying films.
Were there other Iranian films at the festival?
— Besides my film, which was in the main competition, there were two other Iranian films screening out of competition — though unfortunately, given how packed the festival schedule was, I didn’t manage to catch either of them.
What was your priority when it came to watching films at the festival?
— My main goal was to see as many films as I could from the international section, and thankfully I managed to do that. The quality was genuinely high — professional production values were the defining characteristic of those films, and by that I mean truly polished, industry-level production. I really enjoyed every minute of watching them.
What measures did the festival take to introduce the films to audiences?
— There were beautifully designed display boards and stands in the festival venue where filmmakers and festivals could put up their posters. What was even more interesting was that filmmakers had their own mailboxes with personal codes, which made communication between filmmakers and festivals incredibly straightforward — with a simple request, you could get a catalogue, brochure, or any information you needed from any festival right then and there.
How exactly were the screenings organized and grouped into sessions?
— The competition films were divided into 14 groups, and each group screened every day at a different venue across the city, so there was always a chance to catch the films. In the main halls inside the festival venue, the screenings were truly professional — on a wide screen, with very high technical standards — and before each screening, the filmmakers and their films were introduced to the audience in both English and French. That level of seriousness and care in presenting short films was something filmmakers there really appreciated and found deeply gratifying.
Were there Q&A sessions for films in the main competition as well?
— Press screenings were held with the filmmakers, critics, and audiences present, and each filmmaker took part in a brief conversation where they answered questions from the audience.
What topics came up most in the Q&A for your film?
— Most of the questions about my film centered on production details, how we coordinated the city shooting, and the performances and actors in the film.
In your view, what were the most standout qualities of Clermont-Ferrand that filmmakers found most compelling?
— Among the most important things about Clermont-Ferrand, I’d point to how seriously they take short film, the presence of a genuinely engaged short film audience, and the meticulous planning and organization of the festival — all of which made it feel like a truly significant and serious short film event, both in my mind and in the minds of many of the other filmmakers who were there.
Beyond that, they were incredibly precise and deeply respectful of the filmmakers — good accommodation, proper hospitality, and they had even thought to reimburse filmmakers for the cost of their transfer from Paris to Clermont-Ferrand. Nothing was treated as a small thing or taken lightly. The filmmaker was taken seriously — and treated with real dignity.
How much awareness and interest in Iranian cinema did you notice there?
— Iranian cinema was extremely well-known and held in very high regard among filmmakers from other countries. Everyone knew and followed the major Iranian filmmakers and their work — so much so that a large portion of the conversations other filmmakers had with me were about Iranian cinema.
Was there anything noticeably absent — something that Iranian cinema was missing when it came to participating in major international events like Clermont-Ferrand?
— The filmmakers at Clermont-Ferrand had been supported by their national film associations — many had even had their plane tickets covered — and had been sent off with recognition, respect, and full backing. In my case, however, despite being the only Iranian representative in the main competition out of 68 Iranian films registered at the 2015 Clermont-Ferrand festival, I did not receive a single phone call from any Iranian institution or organization to share in that moment of joy — and that was genuinely upsetting to me.
Was that same gap felt in the film market and in the process of promoting Iranian films?
— What was even more disheartening was that while filmmakers from other countries had a serious, visible presence at their country’s stands — putting up their posters in their national pavilions at the Clermont-Ferrand film market and receiving support in promoting their work — I didn’t get much support even from the Iranian representatives who were present at the Clermont-Ferrand market.
After screening at Clermont-Ferrand — which is in many ways the most important short film event in the world — did the experience there change how you see “Bagh-e Bi Bargi”?
— Of course, as a filmmaker, you always see the weaknesses in your own work. But when I watched my film screening alongside the other films at Clermont-Ferrand, and now that I’ve had a bit of distance from it, I was more satisfied with it than I had been before — because I felt it had been made with real dignity and craft. I’m deeply grateful to everyone on the team who helped me make a film I can be proud of.
How much did you realistically expect your film to win an award at such a major festival?
— Given that the festival had every kind of film imaginable — covering every subject, mostly with genuinely creative ideas, across every genre, and all made at a thoroughly professional level — the thought that this film, an independent Iranian production made on a budget far below those of the other films, would actually win an award simply didn’t cross my mind.
Iranian short films that we’d consider nationally successful — how did they stack up against the films competing at major international events like Clermont-Ferrand?
— Based on “Bagh-e Bi Bargi’s” experience at festivals like the Tehran Short Film Festival, Parvin, the Independent Khorshid Festival, and the SHORT FILM CORNER at Cannes, I don’t think Iranian short films hold up very well against the competition at Clermont-Ferrand — and this comes down to both the production values and the ideas behind these films.
In your view, what was it about “Bagh-e Bi Bargi” that made it succeed at this festival?
— Making it into Clermont-Ferrand 2015 out of 68 Iranian films and 6,000 submissions from around the world is a tremendous achievement for this film, and I’m incredibly proud of it. I believe the film’s success comes down to the way the filmmaker’s personal perspective expands into a broader vision, framed within a social realism that leads, to some extent, to a kind of sociological reckoning — and I think the film pulled that off.
What stood out to you about the other competition films — their production conditions or the support behind them?
— Most of the strong films at Clermont-Ferrand had been made with funding from the filmmaker’s home country, with budgets of roughly $20,000, and the active involvement of studios and production companies in making those films was one of the things that stood out most to me.
Based on the results and the award-winning films, what did you take away about what it takes to be selected at Clermont-Ferrand?
— Among the award-winning films, I had seen several that were genuinely creative and in some cases truly striking. The human themes running through some of those films also spoke to what the festival values and looks for in the work it champions.
Tell us about the moment your film was awarded at the closing ceremony.
— When the student jury came out to present the award for their section, they actually played a clip from my film before making the announcement — which I found absolutely wonderful.
