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Logline

In post-revolution Iran, an 11-year-old girl is drawn to a secret underground ballet class. As she learns to dance in defiance of a regime that silenced her mother, a once-renowned ballerina, she unknowingly reawakens the spirit of her family’s past, setting them all on a path toward healing and freedom.

Synopsis

Arezou is a lyrical, emotionally resonant drama that weaves together the lives of two generations of Iranian women silenced by political and personal repression. The story begins in 1982 Tehran, with Azadeh, a brilliant ballerina silenced by trauma after the disbandment of the Iranian National Ballet Company during the revolution. Years later, her daughter Arezou, an imaginative 11-year-old navigating grief, poverty, and a fractured family, stumbles upon an abandoned warehouse where a clandestine ballet class takes place. There, under the guidance of Parvaneh, a former dancer and underground rebel, she begins a secret journey of self-expression. As Arezou dances in defiance of the regime’s restrictions, her movements become a metaphor for memory, resistance, and the power of art to restore what was lost. With the threat of morality police always near, Arezou must learn not only to dance, but to reclaim her mother’s stolen voice. This film is a haunting yet hopeful meditation on resilience, ancestry, and the power of reclaiming one’s truth through forbidden art.

Meet the Filmmakers

Sophia Kiapos — Director/Writer/Producer
Sophia Setareh Kiapos is an Iranian-Greek American writer, director, and producer whose artistic roots began in ballet and classical theatre. She trained for over a decade at Pasadena Dance Theatre and studied acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. Her work spans short films, dance films, and a sketch series for the Pitch Perfect franchise starring Elizabeth Banks. She has directed over 30 international English-language dubbing projects across Netflix, Hulu, Disney, and Amazon Studios.

In 2025, Sophia directed her first feature, Royally Screwed, a romantic comedy based on a New York Times best-selling novel, starring Shohreh Aghdashloo, Jenny Boyd, and Grant Rosenmeyer. With Arezou, she merges heritage and advocacy to craft a lyrical debut that centers silenced Iranian women through movement, memory, and forbidden art.

Taraneh Golozar — Producer
Taraneh Golozar is a first generation Iranian-American producer and visual storyteller whose work blends poetic realism with technical precision. Born and raised in Iran, she brings a deeply personal perspective to stories that explore cultural memory, female resilience, and identity across borders.

With a decade of experience spanning narrative features, animation, and branded content, Taraneh began her career as a VFX producer, a foundation that continues to inform her meticulous approach to visual storytelling. Her producing credits include the award-winning feature Radio Dreams (IFFR Tiger Award), the hybrid docuseries Being Human Is for Android (Tribeca X), and a range of globally recognized campaigns for brands like Apple, Google, Meta, and more.

Her work centers underrepresented voices and emotionally layered narratives that are both grounded and visually bold. Arezou marks a personal milestone for Taraneh, a film rooted in the rhythms of post-revolution Iran and the quiet defiance of girls who dare to move freely. For her, this story is a reclamation of voice, memory, and belonging.

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Contact

For inquiries, please contact fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent.org.