Dream of Liberation (narrative feature) and When The Tiger Roars (short)
The Membrana Film Festival invites you to enjoy a narrative short film and feature film.
The short When The Tiger Roars has had a strong festival run, including selection at 4 Oscar-qualifying Film Festivals. Its Director, Lam Can-zhao, won the Special Prize of the Generation Kplus International Jury at Berlinale in 2024 for his previous short film Sommer, Ende. We are honoured to hold the Manchester Premiere of his new short film, which is described as follows “In a quiet village, 12-year-old Dan endures daily bullying and a strained relationship with his father; when a tiger escapes from the local zoo, buried tensions within the family surface and begin to shift.”
Our feature film is Dream of Liberation, directed by Abbas Rafei, and we are honoured to present its UK Premiere. This film is loosely based on the true story of Reihaneh Jabbari, who was executed in Iran in 2014. It follows the story of two sisters, who, in an attempt to find justice, and fight back against the immoral situations in which they find themselves, now face a battle for survival. Filmmaking in Iran is well-known to be a battle of its own, and this film is a real credit to the filmmaking community of Iran.
When The Tiger Roars - Directed by Lam Can-zhao - China - 15mins
Dream of Liberation - Directed by Abbas Rafei - Iran - 1hr 30mins
