A New Day

A New Day.

Maryam (25) struggles between a conservative religious family and an unusual job. She is raising ten severely abused boys (16-20) with psychological disorders in her self-funded pedagogical home. Considering the instable temperament and emotional vulnerability of the boys, she encounters daily challenges on her way to empower and educate them. Following the events of the house for two years, our camera witnesses many sad and happy days, tensions and surprises.The time comes for the boys to leave and start their independent lives. As the House gets ready to welcome new children, the camera catches up with the boys in their new environments to see how successful Maryam was in giving them a new direction in life.

Director.

Born in 1969 in Tehran, Negin Kianfar grew up and developed a colorful career in post-revolution, contemporary Iran. After she finished her studies at the Art University of Tehran (Cinema, majoring in Directing), she started her filmmaking career with short documentaries and later on she directed feature-length documentaries for European broadcasters. In 2006 she made The Birthday for Dutch television. IDFA hosted the world premiere of The Birthday, a film that has traveled around the world through international festivals and universities. Portraying and documenting personal stories in an intimate setting has guided Negin to another line of work. For a couple of years she also has been an active blogger for NOS, writing about her daily life as well as about many other lives in Tehran.

The Birthday (2006)
1 Hour-99 Years (2008)
Eve & Adam (2009)
A New Day (2021)
Tehran Testimonies (in production)