By Mansi M
Toronto
Ali Samadi Ahadi’s film Seven Days at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is based on a true story, a narrative of struggle, human rights, suffering, and freedom.
“I’ve been making films for 53 years. But this movie, it’s not about filmmaking, it’s about values and giving possibilities to people. The script was quite hard, but I had a wonderful team,” said Ahadi at the screening of his film at Scotiabank theatre at TIFF.
The film tells the story of 46 years old Human Rights activist Maryam (Vishka Asayesh) who has spent the last six years in prison. She has been granted a rare seven-day medical leave and during this period, her brother Nima (Sina Parvaneh) and her husband Behnam (Majid Bakhtiari) have devised a daring plan to smuggle Maryam out of Iran and reunite her with her family. Maryam’s long-suffering partner and their children, now living in exile in Germany, are preparing for a last-minute, clandestine trip to Turkey, where they hope Maryam will find them.
Maryam seeks the help of underground escape networks that begins with a treacherous two-day hike through snow-covered mountains. She is reunited with her family, yet she has already planned that she will return to Iran to continue to fight for the people, for their rights and freedom even though it meant returning to her prison cell.
“I’ve been acting for 30 years, but when I read the script and knew I was going to be in the film, I actually felt that this was the first time that I’m going to act,” says Vishka Asayesh, the lead actress. “I was very nervous as I knew I was going to have an international audience and accepting a role as hard as this one in which I had to represent this courageous woman who was in prison in Iran and fighting for human rights, women’s rights. It was a huge responsibility for me.”
“Vishka’s attentiveness to work and detail was very good,” said Ahadi praising the actor’s work ethic.
“I fell in love with the script, this story because it was more than just a story,” said Bakhtiari who plays the role of Maryam’s husband in the film. “It was a huge responsibility taking on this role and I worked with a lot of fear. Fear was my companion. There were mornings when I woke up and told myself ‘Will I be able to do this? Will I be able to take this responsibility to play the husband of this powerful woman?’ Vishka is incredible. I’ve learned a lot from her.”
Written by Mohammad Rasoulof, the film is about sacrifice, the struggle for human rights, and the power of family ties.
