The day after Sarah Fan approached me to direct this dance film in honor of the Women, Life, Freedom movement, I read an article about four girls in Iran who had been arrested for dancing publicly to the TikTok song Calm Down by Rema and Selena Gomez. After seeing this, I immediately called Sarah back and told her I would direct the film.
Being Lebanese, I understand, at least in part, the reality of artistic censorship. In many places, governments still require scripts to be approved before a local production can be made. Seeing these girls punished simply for dancing, a form of artistic expression, struck me deeply.
I knew a dance alone would not be enough to convey that experience, which is why I wrote the opening narrative sequence: a girl who dreams of dancing freely, yet lives in a world where she cannot.
These girls were punished for dancing to American music on TikTok. In response, we danced to a Persian song, as a gesture of solidarity, their courage had not gone unseen.
We never intended to make Baraye a political manifesto. We did not make the film to advance an agenda. We made it so that the girl who dreams of becoming a dancer, a lawyer, a dentist, or even a filmmaker, but is told she cannot, might feel seen, and might feel heard.
