TATAMI

USA, Georgia 2024, feature film, 105 minutes, b/w, original language. Director: Zar Amir Ebrahimi & Guy Nattiv

Leila Hosseini is an Iranian judoka and at the world championships in Georgia she thinks she has a chance of winning the gold medal. Her coach Maryam has prepared her meticulously and in her first fights Leila leaves the mat, which is called "tatami" in Japanese, as the winner.

The more successful Leila is in the competition, the more nervous the Iranian sports officials become. This is because Leila could meet her Israeli rival in the next rounds and this must be avoided for reasons of state. The athlete and her coach are put under pressure to stop the competition prematurely. Leila is faced with the most serious decision of her career - while her family at home cheerfully watches the competitions, not yet suspecting that they could become a political bargaining chip. Shot in black and white, this political sports thriller is the first to be co-directed by an Iranian and an Israeli.

Zar Amir Ebrahimi not only plays the trainer Maryam in TATAMI, but is also co-directing for the first time. Ebrahimi, who had to leave Iran and lives in exile in France, became known as the lead actress in HOLY SPIDER and SHAYDA and as a co-star in TEHERAN TABU.