Inspired by the Woman, Life, Freedom movement, a new film by a North Shore-based filmmaker tells the powerful story of an Iranian international student who faces severe consequences after being photographed at a protest in Vancouver.
Sepideh Yadegar’s feature film, One Must Wash Eyes, will open the 20th annual Gender Equity in Media Society Vancouver (GEMFest) on March 5 at the VIFF Centre in Vancouver, running March 5–9, 2025.
Yadegar, an Iranian-Canadian writer, director, and producer who lives in North Vancouver, began developing the film in 2020. Initially set in 2012, she later updated the script to reflect the ongoing struggles of Iranian women following the 2022-23 uprising sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini.
“It became very clear to me that this story needed to capture not just the past, but also the urgency of the present,” Yadegar said.
During the Women, Life, Freedom movement in Iran (2022-23), there were 22,000 arrests, and at least 537 people were killed in the regime’s crackdown. The movement began following the death in custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was arrested in Tehran by the morality police on Sept. 16, 2022.
The film follows Sahar, played by Pegah Ghafoori, an Iranian international student whose life takes a dramatic turn when she is photographed at a Woman, Life, Freedom rally in Canada. As Iranian authorities crack down on those linked to the movement, Sahar finds herself caught in a harrowing situation that mirrors the real-life experiences of many in the Iranian diaspora.
Filmed in Vancouver, One Must Wash Eyes reflects Yadegar’s personal journey and the broader struggles of Iranian immigrants.
“Vancouver has such a large Iranian community and a huge international student population. It was the perfect location for this story,” she said. The film also explores themes of exile, immigration, and the emotional toll of witnessing oppression from afar.
Working with a budget of less than $150,000, Yadegar and her team had to be resourceful in securing locations and production support.
“Finding locations was one of the biggest challenges,” she said. “We didn’t have a big budget, but we were lucky to find great places that fit the film’s vision.”
Yadegar’s work goes beyond storytelling, as she hopes the film will help refine the meaning of being an immigrant or refugee for non-Iranian audiences.
“I wanted the film to be like a friend telling people what’s really happening in Iran and how it affects the Iranian diaspora,” she explained.
GEMFest, which celebrates women and gender-diverse filmmakers, will host a special Q&A session with Yadegar and her team following the screening, moderated by fellow Iranian-Canadian filmmaker Ghazal Elhaei.
As Yadegar continues to develop new projects that explore themes of identity, activism, and belonging, she invites audiences to see One Must Wash Eyes and experience the film’s message firsthand. The screening will take place on March 5 at 6 p.m. at VIFF Centre in Vancouver.
The Polygon Gallery in North Vancouver will also screen the movie on March 20, the day Iranian-Canadians celebrate Persian New Year (Nowruz). Showtime is 6:30 p.m.
Hamid Jafari is a Vancouver-based freelance journalist who writes about the Iranian community in Canada, art, culture, and social media trends. He has done two placements with the North Shore News that were supported by New Canadian Media. [email protected]
