Thursday, October 23, 5:30pm, NW Film Forum
Wrestling is a very popular sport in Iran with historical roots in the country’s religion and mythology. Iran had consistently produced outstanding world champions that have gone on to win gold and silver at the Olympics despite very little financial support from the government. However almost all wrestlers come from the slums and poverty-stricken districts and wrestling has provided a very slim chance to make something of their lives. As a result two million young men try to make it to the national youth team every year, but only a handful do, most of whom find themselves in an uncompromising situation of having to hold down jobs to help their families survive while also spending all their time training to keep their dreams alive.
Caught in this crossroad between a sport they love and the realities of their harsh circumstances, they soon realize that even with a gold medal their lives will hardly change and this dream is a luxury that they cannot afford.
Boys with Broken Ears at its core is a human story, but it is loaded with themes of social identity in Iran and the confrontation of traditional and modern values. All this is set against each character’s decision whether to continue pursuing his passion for wrestling or not.is an intimate journey of a handful of young Iranian wrestlers who dream of becoming the next Olympic champion, yet it is not only the championships they have to wrestle their way through but also the realities of their lives. (Nima Shayeghi, 78 min, Iran)
Boys With Broken Ears – Clip from Pink Noise Films on Vimeo.
