Director Nader Saivar on Working With Jafar Panahi on Karlovy Vary-Bound ‘Hijamat’ and Situation in Iran Where ‘There Is a Sort of Aversion Towards Religion Among the Young Generation’

Jun 29, 2026 6:19am PT Director Nader Saivar on Working With Jafar Panahi on Karlovy Vary-Bound ‘Hijamat’ and Situation in Iran Where ‘There Is a Sort of Aversion Towards Religion Among the Young Generation’

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By Nick Vivarelli

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Nick Vivarelli

International Correspondent

@NickVivarelli

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Iranian auteur Nader Saeivar – who has been collaborating with Jafar Panahi since 2017 – will soon be at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival with Berlin-set drama “Hijamat” that centers around a man named Karam, whose secret romantic relationship with a man sends shockwaves through his deeply religious Muslim family.

Saeivar, who won the best screenplay award at Cannes in 2018 for Panahi’s “3 Faces,” is well known for his directorial efforts in the underground Iranian cinema milieu. In 2020, he made his directorial debut with “Namo” that premiered at Berlin. His second feature, “No End,” premiered at Busan. Saeivar’s most recent feature, “The Witness” (2024), won the audience award at the Venice Film Festival.

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