Chicago Feminist Film Festival 2019 – Online Shopping
Donia, a young Iranian girl wants to immigrate for continuing her studies abroad. Before her departure, she tries to sell her belongings online. One of the customer is a man who enters in her house and behaves strangely…
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Ghasideh Golmakani
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
To show the contradictions and unexpected situations in the Iranian society. Actually, quiet the same situation had happened to me. Online Shopping is based on a true story in a way.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
To observe the insecurity of life for a women in modern societies. Ask yourself: what are our limits for violence? Especially when the harassment starts?
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
As I've already said, it is based on personal history. I was living in France during my studies. When I came back to Iran, I began to put part of my stuff online for sale. I sold lots of stuff but all costumers for my shoes were men! I was amazed about it and started to observe them and think about a film project! While writing it, I felt this insecurity for women in the world, because of internet and social networks.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
As I have already mentioned, there were costumers for my second hand shoes online! They were calling me and asking me prices and information. I was taking note and you can find parts of these notes in the film. Once finished, I have shown it to several psychologists to be sure about my purpose.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Diverse. It's the very first time that the shoe fetishism is developed in the Iranian cinema. Iranians were quite shocked by the film, but it won very prestigious awards there. Abroad, as the subject is more familiar to people, it received deeper feedback.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Not really, because I was expecting that people might be surprised by seeing a shoe fetish in Iran!
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Making films for me is kind of watching psychological moments in modern society. Especially as a woman born in a traditional country, these questions are deeper and more diverse. I would love to share them with others and hear from artists and people who have the same preoccupations in the world.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Sales agents, buyers, distributors and journalists.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Very often people in western countries think that women in Muslim countries are different! I would love to make people think that we have very often the same problems, the same issues and the same lack of security... The combat continues!
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Why can’t a woman feel secure, even in her own house?!
Would you like to add anything else?
I should just thank you for the effort you make to gather so much diverse cinematographic materials on your website. And thank to give us the opportunity to express our thoughts.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I just finished a movie about child abuse. I will let you discover the rest later on.
Interview: February 2019
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Online Shopping
Donia, a young Iranian girl wants to immigrate for continuing her studies abroad. Before her departure, she tries to sell her belongings online. One of the customer is a man who enters in her house and behaves strangely…
Length: 15:00
Director: Ghasideh Golmakani
Producer: Ghasideh Golmakani
Writer: Ghasideh Golmakani
About the writer, director and producer:
GHASIDEH GOLMAKANI was born in Tehran, into a family of journalists and artists. At the age of 18, she moved to Paris to follow her studies in “Art history” and “Cultural studies”. Her PhD studies subject at Sorbonne University is focused on the “Influence of Iranian masters on young filmmakers.” She then moved back to Iran, where she started to make movies. Self-taught, Ghasideh had made documentaries and making-of for several movies such as «Today» and «Daughter» (Reza Mirkarimi), «A Special Day» (Homayoun As’adian and «Sara and Aida» (Maziar Miri). In «Online Shopping», Ghasideh shows in a simple way the unexpected behaviors in Iranian society."
Key cast: Sonia Sanjari, Kazem Sayahi
Looking for: journalists, buyers, sales agents
Facebook: Ghasideh Gomakani
Instagram: @ghasideh_golmakani
Other: IMDB
Funders: self-funded