The Day I Became a Woman

In a country where authorities have been directly engaging in the gruesome war against women for decades, artists like Nahid Hassanzadeh stand apart as a voice of dissent–a haunting reminder of the unwavering spirit of the rebellious Iranian women fighting against the Islamic Republic’s violent crackdown.

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Her extraordinary journey—from a midwife in Tehran to the global centre stage as a filmmaker—has been a major inspiration for many to pursue filmmaking as a medium of resistance.

Between 2001 and 2012, Hassanzadeh made seven documentaries and short films while working as a midwife. Her debut feature Another Time (2016) won the best film award at the 22nd Kolkata International Film Festival and has been screened as part of several international events, including the Sao Paulo International Film Festival in Brazil, the Raindance Film Festival in the UK, the Exground Film Festival in Germany, the Seoul International Agape Film Festival in South Korea and Ohio’s Athens International Film and Video Festival (AIFVF) in the US.

In December 2024, Hassanzadeh was invited as a jury member at the 30th Kolkata International Film Festival. In a conversation with Abhimanyu Bandyopadhyay, she discussed her journey, the considerable challenges encountered by women filmmakers in Iran, the prevalence of male dominance in the Iranian film industry and the ongoing “Women, Life, Freedom” movement.

How did your experience as a midwife influence your filmmaking perspective?

Before receiving my degree in midwifery from Tehran University, I was working as an intern in the underprivileged places of Southern Tehran. During my internship, I witnessed how criminally the regime has weaponised women’s access to basic reproductive healthcare in Iran. In this way, the Islamic Republic has continued to exploit women’s bodies as a tool to advance its repressive political agenda.