Struggling to follow her dreams of being an astronomer, Sepideh writes letters to Albert Einstein to help her cope with the barriers she faces growing up in rural Iran. Danish director Berit Madsen’s documentary follows Sepideh from the ages of 16 to 18. As the film unfolds we get a glimpse into what life is like for an adolescent girl with a fierce passion and drive that is stifled by virtually everyone in her life in a society where the oppression of women is a daily reality.
The filmmaker accompanies Sepideh and her astronomy club on some of their overnight observation trips to the clear skies of the countryside. There is universality to these scenes as boisterous teens laugh and joke by the campfire while discussing the constellations and joyously pointing at shooting stars. This free-spirited curiosity is embodied in Sepideh who states ‘I want my thinking to be as high and vast as the sky’. The film uses some beautiful footage of the night sky to reinforce just how vast Sepideh’s ambitions are.
It’s a different story in the stark light of day however. Sepideh’s father has passed away and her mother is under pressure to look after the family. Their field has been left fallow and her father’s family are unwilling to help the widower tend it. With no income Sepideh’s mother lets her daughter know that a university education will likely send them broke. Coupled with her maternal uncle who threatens to kill Sepideh for following her dreams, which are at odds with the conservative society she lives in, Sepideh’s frustration is palpable.
As Sepideh questions whether she should continue to fight for her future and her education, she walks up to the half-finished observatory that sits in the hills above her town, a symbol of supressed ambition. Her inspirational astronomy teacher Mr Kabiri started the project years earlier. An avid amateur astronomer himself, he is one of the only adult figures in Sepideh’s life who supports her pursuits.
Sepideh: Reaching for the Stars reinforces how important access to education is on the path to empowering women and girls. In 2012 around 30 universities in Iran barred women from nearly 80 BSc courses across the humanities and sciences. In a state that often seeks to take power away from women Sepideh bravely asserts that ‘nobody can stand in my way, people can think what they like.’
Rating: 3 ½ out of 5 stars
Sepideh: Reaching for the Stars
Director: Berit Madsen
Denmark, 2013, 90 mins
Melbourne International Film Festival
www.miff.com.au
31 July – 17 August
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