Stefan dreess rating of the film fifi howls from happiness stefan drees an extraordinary film. Fifi howls from happiness brings bahman mohassess out from. Fifi howls from happiness dvd chicago public library. It was said he destroyed his remaining paintings and disappeared. Irreverent and uncompromising, a gay man in a hostile world, mohassess had a conflicted relationship with his homeland revered by elites in the art. Poland 11 october 20 warsaw film festival usa 22 may 2014 seattle international film festival usa 8 august 2014 new york city, new york. Fifi howls from happiness depicts the final days of an. Fifi howls from happiness will be playing at the cinematheque on oct. Fifi howls from happiness view trailer get tickets mitra farahanis lyrical documentary explores the enigma of provocative artist bahman mohassess, the socalled persian picasso, whose acclaimed paintings and sculptures dominated prerevolutionary iran. Aug 07, 2014 mitra farahanis fifi howls from happiness is far from a conventional. A lyrical documentary that explores the enigma of provocative iranian artist bahman mohassess, dubbed the persian picasso, whose acclaimed artwork dominated prerevolutionary iran before being forced into exile, with many of his famous works destroyed. In the iranian artists paintings, sculptures, and collages from the 1950s forwardon ample display in the new documentary fifi howls from happiness all manner of grotesquely knobbed bodies grapple over one another or else all alone in a void, toward something unseen. Combative, controlling and egotistical, yet with a streak of selfloathing, bahman mohassess was in some ways the stereotype of the modern artist. Rent, buy or watch fifi howls from happiness movie now.
Select any poster below to play the movie, totally free. Trained in italy, he created sculptures and paintings in his homeland. Mitra farahanis fifi howls from happiness is far from a conventional documentary portrait of an artist, but then again bahman mohassess was no conventional artist. Iranian artist bahman mohassess destroyed much of his own work before emigrating to italy. An emotional pull in every direction, which makes for a truly wonderful. Fifi howls from happiness about gay iranian artist. Her latest documentary film, fifi howls from happiness, on painter bahman mohassess, premiered at the 20 berlin and telluride film festival. Fifi howls from happiness 20 original trailer youtube. Fifi howls from happiness documents the last two months in the life of bahman moassess, a celebrated iranian artist at the time of the shah. On imdb tv, you can catch hollywood hits and popular tv series at no cost. For its farahanis film that lifts mohassess up like a lastminute gurney, bringing him both the irresistible attention of a sophisticated. Fifi howls from happiness, dvd, special interestart, 7460538641. Hector and the search for happiness us release trailer 1 2014 rosamund pike, simon pegg movie hd duration. Fifi howls from happiness 20 from butimar productions pro.
Bahman mohassess is a fascinating person, and mitra farahanis really knows how to handle him and the strange development of the events. The movie was directed by mitra farahani, an iranian filmmaker who lives in. Also sign me up for fanmail to get updates on all things movies. Even so, you may soon intuit that theres a strong link between the howling and the. Irreverent and uncompromising, a gay man in a hostile world. Fifi howls from happiness irreverent and uncompromising, a gay man in a hostile world, mohassess had a conflicted relationship with his homelandrevered by elites in the art scene and praised as a national icon, only to be censored later by an oppressive regime. But audiences often took offence at the pronounced phalli on his mostly naked bronze figures and his work was regularly censored. In farahanis documentary, fifi howls from happiness, the hermit is eager to share his memories of the past and opinions of the present, discussing both like a filterless, unrepentant grandfather. Yet if fifi howls from happiness is a little ragged and pretentious around the edges, its mostly fascinating in its rapt gaze, and it allows us to revel in dozens of images of mohassess works. Enlivened by the encounter with these two young iranian collectors, the artist energetically discusses his grand plans and drives a hard bargain for his last. Fifi howls from happiness a revealing portrait of persian. Famed as the persian picasso in his native iran, the openly gay mohassess ran afoul of the government with his politically and socially charged paintings and sculptures. Farahani has worked as a cinematographer for films including. A lasting tribute to an elusive artistic genius, fifi howls from happiness affirms the power of creative freedom, the right of the artist to create and to destroy, and above all, to have no regrets.
Time suspended 2006 fifi az khoshhali zooze mikeshad in english. Mitra farahanis lyrical documentary explores the enigma of provocative artist. He has particularly harsh words for his fellow iranians, bootlicking being one of his favorites. Fifi howls from happiness film irani, download full movie. Mitra farahanis fifi howls from happiness is a documentary feature about bahman mohasses, one of irans most important modernist painters, who, after exiling himself in rome following 1979s military revolution, disappeared from the public eye. Fifi, cited in the film s title, is a picture of a. As if to confirm how crucial timing is to documentaries, the artist gives the filmmaker a last performance that helps make her portrait of him as extraordinary as the man it portrays. Even though the subject of fifi howls from happiness, exiled iranian painter.
Fifi howls from happiness evokes feelings in exile of the liveliness of culture in tehran decades earlier, without a breath of nostalgia. Farahani wants to film mohassess at work and discovers two brothers who commission a new piece from. Fifi howls from happiness official us release trailer. Fifi howls from happiness vancouver international film.
Brilliant, loving, and as intensely political as any of mohassess paintings or sculptures, fifi howls from happiness celebrates connection as much as it reveals isolation, dedication alongside. When farahani set out to make a film about mohassess, she first had to. Mitra farahanis lyrical documentary explores the enigma of provocative artist bahman mohassess, the socalled persian picasso, whose acclaimed paintings. Review fifi howls from happiness from the front row. Irreverent and uncompromising, a gay man in a hostile world, mohassess had a conflicted relationship with. Fifi howls from happiness antenna festival 20 youtube. Aug 08, 2014 it isnt until late in fifi howls from happiness that you learn the meaning of the cryptic title. Death is not far away when farahani begins her film and shes still working as it closes in. Mitra farahanis lyrical documentary explores the enigma of. Haze hors champ, quotidien des etats generaux du film documentaire. Fifi howls from happiness 20 letterboxd social film. Realscreen archive new york film festival adds tims.
Incorporating the abrupt shifts in mood and tone and the jittery nature of mohassess storytelling to dictate the pace of her film, farahani bursts onto the screen with a creative force as powerful as that of the painters most outrageous works. In person, as seen in fifi howls from happiness, mitra farahanis ambitious and selfreflexive documentary of the artists last days, mohassess enthusiastically acts out those traits. Named for mahassess most favorite of his paintings, the film is an engaging and deeply moving exploration an artists last days, one who is taking stock of a life while preparing to paint one final masterpiece. Fifi howls from happiness official us release trailer 2014 from butimar productions pro. Fifi howls from happiness 20 mitra farahani synopsis. Though shy on background info, the docu offers a fascinating portrait of iranian artist bahman mohassess. Irreverent and uncompromising, a gay man in a hostile world, mohassess had a conflicted relationship with his homelandrevered by elites in the art scene and praised as a national. Music box direct international films independent films. Though for roughly a halfcentury he had divided his time between iran and italy, by 2010, when the film was made, he was only residing in his second homeland. Oct 01, 20 queer media database we queer cinema fifi howls. Bahman mohassess was a celebrated artist at the time of the shah. Buenos aires mitra farahani s fifi howls from happiness won the international competition at the buenos aires independent film festival bafici, which closed saturday night. Farshad mahootforoush, bahman mohassess, rokni haerizadeh, ramin haerizadeh, mitra farahani.
A documentary about an arrogant and weird iranian artist living in exile in rome. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing fifi howls from happiness near you. Fifi, the film s titular painting, features an imploded human face. For its farahanis film that lifts mohassess up like a lastminute. Mitra farahanis lyrical documentary explores the enigma of provocative artist bahman mohassess, the socalled persian picasso, whose acclaimed paintings and sculptures dominated prerevolutionary. Its a performance enhanced by his diabolical, phlegmchoked laughter at his own bleakly ironic pronouncements and denunciations of the world in general.
Fifi az khoshhali zooze mikeshad fifi howls from happiness. Just a woman 2002, a film about morvarids recent gender reassignment in iran. Fifi howls from happiness is a lyrical documentary that explores the enigma of provocative iranian artist bahman mohassess, dubbed the persian picasso, whose acclaimed paintings and sculptures dominated prerevolutionary iran before he was driven into exile. Oct 17, 20 you are wrong to believe you are free, proclaims bahman mohasses, the 79yearold artist who is the subject of fifi howls from happiness, a lively documentary which screened as part of the. After a voluntary thirtyyear exile, this curious contemporary diogenes is preparing to create a final. A documentary on provocative artist bahman mohassess, the socalled persian picasso, whose acclaimed paintings and sculptures dominated prerevolutionary iran. Fifi howls from happiness honors its subject with an engrossing look at his.
Fifi howls from happiness wins buenos aires film fest. Though prone to giving the filmmaker regular suggestions on how to do her work, he seems to have no hesitancy about being filmed. Fifi howls from happiness official us release trailer 2014. Amazon web services scalable cloud computing services. There are currently two videos available for the film, of which two are trailers, as listed below. Book depository books with free delivery worldwide. Fifi howls from happiness, from mitra farahani the new york. Jan 31, 2015 fifi howls from happiness 20 this documentary profiles renowned iranian artist bahman mohassess, whose provocative work put him at odds with his countrys political leaders. The most startlingly unexpected iranian triumph at telluride was mitra farahanis fifi howls from happiness, an unconventional documentary about forgotten iranian artist bahman mohassess. Aug 14, 2014 yet if fifi howls from happiness is a little ragged and pretentious around the edges, its mostly fascinating in its rapt gaze, and it allows us to revel in dozens of images of mohassess works. A portrait of the artist as a refusenik, a recluse, a survivor and a stubborn question mark, fifi howls from happiness registers, by turns, as a celebration, an excavation and an increasingly urgent rescue mission. In the iranian artists paintings, sculptures, and collages from the 1950s forwardon ample display in the new documentary fifi howls from happinessall manner of grotesquely knobbed bodies grapple over one another or else all alone in a void, toward something unseen.
One of the artists prominently represented in that exhibition, bahman mohassess, is the subject of iranian filmmaker mitra farahanis fascinating documentary fifi howls from happiness, which is as much a portrait of an extravagant personality as it is an account of his work. Berlin international film festival france 28 march 20 cinema du reel film festival italy 7 september 20 milano film festival usa 28 september 20 new york film festival france 2 october 20. Oct 02, 20 video archive for the film fifi howls from happiness, which has a domestic theatrical release in the year of 20. Mohassess, who died in 2010, was a fantastic character, a viciously witty gay guy who cut a stylish swath through europe and makes wicked fun of his dimbulb.
The film rarely leaves the subjects rome apartment, yet it never feels static. Feb 16, 20 fifi howls from happiness though shy on background info. The film is funny, hilarious at times, not without a sad ending, and most of all, humanly honest. Fifi howls from happiness, from mitra farahani the new. Irreverent and uncompromising, a gay man in a hostile world, mohassess had a conflicted relationship with his homeland revered by elites in the art scene. Art may essentially be an act of creation, but annihilation nonetheless forms the dark heart of bahman mohasses work. Farahani wants to film mohassess at work and discovers two brothers who commission a new piece from him. Fifi howls from happiness 2012, a documentary about the iranian painter, sculptor and theatre director, bahman mohasses. Marjaneh moghimi marjaneh is the founder of butimar productions and has produced numerous awardwining documentaries with acclaimed directors such as michael apted, bahman kiarostami, justine shapiro. Fifi howls from happiness depicts the final days of. Music box films mitra farahanis lyrical documentary explores. Fifi howls from happiness 20 a documentary on provocative artist bahman mohassess, the socalled persian picasso, whose acclaimed paintings and sculptures dominated prerevolutionary iran.
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