Opponent Q&A with director Milad Alami

Director Milad Alami joins playwright Fatima Serghini for a discussion about his new film, Opponent. The film follows Iman and his family who have been forced to flee Iran. As refugees, they end up in a run-down hotel in northern Sweden. Despite feeling powerless, Iman tries to maintain his role as the family patriarch. To increase their chances of asylum, he breaks a promise to his wife and joins the local wrestling club. As the rumors start to resurface, Iman's fear and desperation begin to take a hold.

Opponent is a complex and suspenseful drama about ethnic and personal identities. This subject is tackled with remarkable authenticity and poise by Milad Alami, who himself is a second-generation Iranian immigrant.

Filmed at the Garden Cinema on 13th April 2024

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0:49 // Inspirations, personal experiences of living in Iran and Sweden
1:47 // Why working with refugees including queer Iranians was important for authenticity
3:57 // Working with actors Payman Maadi, Marall Nasiri and wrestling with covid during filmmaking
12:14 // What should audiences take away from the film?
15:23 // Breaking free from censorship: the future of Iranian cinema
22:44 // How do people who work in the immigration system react to the film?
25:40 // The difficulties of writing sex scenes that explore character
28:42 // Maryam's character development
39:18 // The importance of theatrical distribution and talking about films