Trouble is brewing in Tehran. Strictly religious moral laws meet sex, drugs, and corruption. Those who want to stand their ground against patriarchal society must find their own path. Pari makes a living as a prostitute and gets involved with a devout judge to get rid of her imprisoned husband. Her neighbor Sara uses risky medical methods as she doesn’t want to end up as a housewife and mother. The musician Babak seeks freedom in subversive, electronic big-city sounds, which causes him problems not just with the censoring authorities. With his debut, Ali Soozandeh has created a courageous and emotional animated film that could hardly be more up-to-date. Tehran Taboo drenches the struggle for equal rights and social renewal in the Iranian metropolis’ vibrant colors. Among others, the film was implemented with HessenFilm funds.  

Tehran Taboo celebrated its world premiere at the 56th Semaine de la Critique in Cannes 2017. In Helsinki, the film received the „European Script Award 2017 for the Most Innovative Script of the Year by a newcomer for a Film“.

Tehran Taboo was recorded using the rotoscoping procedure. In this process, real actors are filmed in front of a green screen. Subsequently, drawn backgrounds are inserted and the characters are animated. Director Ali Soozandeh deliberately chose the procedure, as a live action production in Tehran would have been unfeasible. Moreover, it serves the protection of the Iranian-born actors. 

Ali Soozandeh was born in 1970 in Iran. He experienced the first effects of the Islamic Revolution when boys and girls were suddenly separated in school. At the age of 25, he left Iran and came to Germany. He obtained his diploma in Media Design at the Technical University in Cologne. Afterwards, he founded his studio Cartoonamonn and contributed to various documentaries and TV series in the field of animation. Today he lives in Bruehl near Cologne with his wife and three children. 

Head of Ditigal Painting: Alireza Darvish