A War on Women
Raha Shirazi, Italy | 2026 | 1h 40m | in Farsi and English, with English Subtitles
The story of Iranian women’s struggle for their rights after the 1979 revolution. Four generations of Iranian women resist the Islamic Republic, transforming decades of oppression, protest, and personal sacrifice into a powerful feminist movement demanding freedom, dignity, and lasting change.
Iranian-Canadian film director and screenwriter known for her powerful documentary and short films focusing on women’s resistance, identity, and spiritual traditions. She earned an MFA in film production from York University, alongside training from New York University and the FAMU Film School in the Czech Republic. Her short films Four Walls (2007) and Acqua (2011), both premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
Raha has explored transmedia work combining cinema, theater, and architecture through collaborations with artists from various disciplines. In December 2010, she participated in a workshop with director Michelangelo Frammartino, which led to the short film Acqua, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (2011). In 2014, she directed the short film Fuoco, an Italy/Canada co-production. She is currently working on her first feature fiction film, Terra, a co-production between Italy, France, and Canada, supported by Creative Europe MEDIA, MIC DGCA, Rai Cinema, Telefilm Canada, Wild FX, Rolling Pictures, Regione Toscana, and Lazio Cinema International.
