Banned Iranian director secretly premieres prison drama in Berlin

Friday 13 February 2026 - 14:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Banned Iranian director secretly premieres prison drama in Berlin

Iranian filmmaker and women’s rights activist Mahnaz Mohammadi is returning to fiction filmmaking with “Roya,” a prison drama set inside Tehran’s Evin prison, where a detained teacher must choose between delivering a forced televised confession or enduring prolonged isolation. The film will have its world premiere on Saturday in the Panorama section of the 76th Berlin International Film Festival.

Mohammadi shot the film clandestinely, without official authorization from Iranian authorities. She has been barred from filmmaking since the release of her first fiction feature, “Son-Mother,” which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2019. The announcement of “Roya” in Berlin comes amid ongoing pro-democracy protests in Iran and a sweeping state crackdown that has led to thousands of arrests.

The story centers on Roya, an Iranian teacher imprisoned for her political beliefs in the notorious Evin prison. Faced with intense pressure, she must decide whether to confess on state television or remain confined in a three-square-meter cell. The film examines how isolation under authoritarian rule distorts perception, memory and identity.

Mohammadi’s personal history closely mirrors the film’s themes. Since 2007, she has faced repeated persecution for her artistic work and activism, including multiple arrests. In June 2014, she began serving a five-year prison sentence on charges of “assembly and collusion against national security” and “propaganda against the state.” She was detained in Evin prison after authorities accused her of cooperating with international media, allegations she has denied.

“Roya is a film that must first be heard before it can speak,” Mohammadi said in a statement, describing the project as rooted in a shared sensitivity to silence, time and truth.

The cast is led by Turkish actress Melisa Sözen, known for her role in Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Palme d’Or-winning “Winter Sleep” and the French series “Le Bureau des Légendes.” She stars alongside Iranian actors Maryam Palizban and Hamidreza Djavdan. The film was produced by Hamburg-based PakFilm in partnership with Europe Media Nest from the Czech Republic and Luxembourg’s Amour Fou.

Paris-based Totem Films, which has previously handled international sales for Iranian directors including the filmmakers behind “My Favourite Cake,” is overseeing global sales. The Berlinale, running from February 12 to 22, is showcasing “Roya” in its Panorama program, a section dedicated to independent cinema with strong feminist perspectives.