On December 8, within the framework of the 16th Baku International Film Festival, a meeting was held at the Azerbaijan Union of Filmmakers for young filmmakers with Niki Karimi—an Iranian actress, director, and producer, and a jury member of the festival’s International Debut Feature Film Competition.
During the meeting, N. Karimi shared her professional experience in the field of cinema with the participants and answered questions from young filmmakers. She also addressed the challenges faced by female filmmakers, noting that “on a film set with a crew of more than 100 people, only about 20% are women, while the remaining 80% are men. This is not only the case in cinema, but across all fields. Women are often required to make five times more effort simply to have their voices heard. In such situations, one must possess a very high level of self-confidence in order to speak up and achieve the desired outcome.” She concluded by advising young female directors to consistently believe in themselves.
One of the questions addressed to N. Karimi concerned how, despite numerous restrictions and a strict Sharia-based system, a generation of courageous directors and a cinematic aesthetic capable of conquering the global film scene has emerged in Iran. In her response, N. Karimi directly linked this phenomenon to Iran’s ancient and rich literary and cultural foundations, stating: “If the roots are strong, no authority or set of prohibitions can change them. Difficulties and pressure have always existed and will continue to exist; however, if the roots of culture and art are deep and resilient, they will always find a way to express themselves.” The meeting continued in a question-and-answer format.
Iranian actress and director Niki Karimi is regarded as one of the most prominent representatives of the young generation that emerged in Iranian cinema after the Islamic Revolution. She began her film career in the late 1980s. In 1992, she won the Best Actress award at the San Sebastián International Film Festival for her role in the film Sara, and between 1992 and 2007 she worked as an assistant to the renowned Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami. After participating in the Cannes Film Festival in 2005 with her debut feature film One Night, which she directed herself, she continued her career as a director and producer. Niki Karimi has also acted as a juror at prestigious international film festivals, including Karlovy Vary, Edinburgh, Locarno, Berlin, and Cannes.
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