TEHRAN – Eight films by Iranian directors are competing in the 18th edition of the Geneva International Oriental Film Festival, which opens on Monday in the Swiss city.

“Dream’s Gate”, an acclaimed documentary by Negin Ahmadi, has been selected to be screened in the official completion of the festival, which will run until June 18.

The winner of an honorable mention at ZagrebDox, the film is co-production by Iran, France and Norway.

In this documentary, Ahmadi starts a personal journey into the combat zone of north Syria to question what it means to be a woman.

Alone with her camera, she decides to look for an answer to her questions by encountering the women who embody the strongest contemporary myth of female strength and freedom: Kurdish female fighters. The personal search and internal struggles turn into an intimate women’s diary written in the first person. Following, sharing and witnessing the life of these and other Kurdish women put into question the image that the director has of herself and of the cost of equality and freedom in this difficult region.

“Yellow” by Sahar Mahmudi, “Split Ends” by Alireza Kazemipur and “Mixed” by Mina Sadat Hosseini will be screened in the competition for short films.

“Yellow” is about an 11-year-old girl living in cultural and financial poverty who is forced by her father to marry a 50-year-old man.

“Split Ends” follows a bald woman and a man with long hair who try to get out of paying fines when traffic cameras catch them not wearing a hijab.

“Mixed” is about Mrs. Parsa, a teacher who is sexually harassed on the street.

The festival also is screening the Iranian shorts “I’m Pregnant with Time Here” by Mohammad Hassani, Amaas (L’enflure) by Keivan Sarvari, “Just About” by Mahmud Puyandeh and “Disgrace” by Ali Riahi.

Iranian producer Elaheh Nobakht is a member of the jury for the short competition.

Akila Dahache from France and Nicolas Pallay from Switzerland are also members of the jury.

Photo: “Dream’s Gate” by Negin Ahmadi.

MMS/YAW