Meet Iranian – New-Zealander Faramarz Beheshti, winner of Best Non-European Independent Documentary at ÉCU 2011 for “Salam Rugby”. It is a story of women rugby players in Iran, which may sound like an anomaly, but as this documentary shows, Iranian women are more than ready to dive into the scrum if only the authorities would let them. Following the Islamic Revolution in 1979 competitive sports for women were actively discouraged and it wasn’t until the social reforms of the 90s that women started to appear on the sporting field again. Women’s rugby was introduced in 2004, but shortly afterwards a change in government meant strict guidelines were reinforced.

Faramarz’s film follows several teams throughout Iran as they negotiate a Kafkaesque minefield of restrictions and regulations. Practicing indoors completely covered head-to-toe and always under the watchful eye of the ever present ‘security’ forces, these women keep training in the forlorn hope of one day playing an actual match.

Check out his interview to ÉCU and find out what he has done since winning the award in Paris and what are his future plans :  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=D2IDvv4MocQ

Read this article in French: http://www.ecufilmfestival.com/fr/2012/01/ecu-alumni-faramarz-beheshti/