Happiness

A teenage girl embarks on a road trip across Iran with two friends and a stranger in a van full of contraband wine.

As her mother plans to relocate to France, teenage would-be emigre Shadi (meaning 'happiness' in Farsi) discovers that her estranged father has not been asked for his consent. In the heat of the moment, she runs away, embarking on a road trip from Tehran to Kish with two friends and Sina (Soheil Bavi), a man with a van who sells contraband wine from it – among other vices.

Wunderkind director Pouria Takavar beautifully captures the rebelliousness of adolescence with this freewheeling and thoroughly compelling road movie – nay, road series – through Iran. Starting out as a director at the age of six with his award-winning short film Toy Store (2002), Takavar has carved out an interesting career as a bright young voice of Iranian cinema. His previous series Tehrun – a 90-part Instagram series – captured international attention, and Happiness marks his first international co-production with La Onde Productions and Arte in France.  

All 15 episodes (5 mins each) will screen in this program.