Synopsis:

In a bold and candid cinematic letter to her mother, filmmaker Amina Maher reveals the most painful of childhood secrets. The film explores the confusion of gender, sexuality, guilt, and repression in relation to violence and identity. Letter to my Mother is a means of survival, a way to stand up, speak out, and understand. It is an attempt to break taboos and transcend boundaries—social and personal—and to create life and art from the darkest experiences. At times, cinema itself seems implicated in this difficult story, mapping the abuse that began at the very moment she appeared in Abbas Kiarostami's Ten (2002), which depicted the real-life relationship between Amina and her mother.

Biography:

Amina Maher (born in Tehran, 1992) is an Iranian queer filmmaker whose works address themes of social taboos and gender identity in relation to violence and power structures. She began her film career as the main protagonist in Abbas Kiarostami's Ten, which portrayed the real-life relationship between Amina and her mother. Her first short film was Sweet Gin and Cold Wine, followed by Orange. Her multi-award-winning short film, Letter to My Mother, was screened in competition at several international film festivals, including the 36th Kasseler Dokfest, the 35th Lovers Film Festival, the 34th Mix Milano Film Festival, and the 26th Cheries Cheris LGBTQIA+ Film Festival in Paris. Amidst numerous reviews, the film has been described as a means of survival, a way to stand up and understand—a fearless and powerful examination that touches the core of pain and dares to look with precision. Amina is currently pursuing her master's degree in directing at Konrad Wolf University of Babelsberg.