Producer Katia Pinzon of Spanish Barnabe Productions and Iranian co-producer Elaheh Nobakht of Eli Image presented the Spanish/Iranian/French co-production Singing Wings during FIPADOC’s Wider Scope pitch session January 24. The project is directed by Iranian Hemen Khaledi.
Steeped in the parallels between human and animal migration, Khaledi’s work follows the destinies of a wounded stork and an elderly Kurdish woman.
“The film came from Hemen’s concern that a lot of people are migrating from his region,” co-producer Nobakht commented. “Having been raised listening to stork-related tales and religions, he felt he could tell the story of the migration issue in a very poetic way, weaving a parallel between animal and human migration.”
Khaledi has chosen a slow-paced narrative to reflect the unhurried rhythm of village life as he knows it. The project description contrasts the picturesque beauty of the Iranian Kurdistan villages and its serene natural surroundings with the challenges faced by the characters.
The allegorical story unfolds as 78-year-old Khadijeh helps a wounded stork which has been injured by high-voltage electric wires, to recover in time for its annual migration. At the same time Khadijeh’s daughter wants to emigrate to Britain. The project description highlights the seamless transition between scenes of Khadijeh caring for the stork, as her daughter struggles to leave, creating a tense parallel narrative.
“It’s a powerful story, and Khadijeh’s repartee is just as entertaining as it is touching,” says producer Pinzon. “We discover the harshness of her life, and we understand her daughter is about to leave to pursue the dream of a better future for her and her children in the UK or Spain. Eventually the stork dies, but it’s not the end of the story. After all the others have left the village, one stork stays behind, and Khadijeh is convinced that it is the injured stork’s mate. She regularly goes to see it to try and convince it to go on with its journey. Come the next spring, on the storks’ return, the village welcomes them back with colourful celebrations, and the musicians play a welcome song in memory of the injured stork, with an instrument made out of its wings.”
“We have already finished 70% of the shooting,” Nobakht continues. “We have planned to deliver the film by the end of next summer [2025], and we’re looking for financiers and broadcasters who can help us finish the project.”
With a budget of €250,034, a remaining €179,034 is still required for completion. The production is also seeking a sales agent and broadcast interest. To date, private funding has been provided via Barnabe Productions, Eli Image and Brussels Film Cie.
“The young generation don’t have any choice except migration, which is so sad,’ says Iranian Nobakht, who professes that she has experienced a lot of difficulties and tensions in her life as a young producer living in Iran. “I’m always trying to show that there is hope to the generations of young women who are trying to live their lives amongst the struggle. Khadijeh is exactly the kind of woman I would like to shed light on, with all her determination and humour.”
According to the film notes, the film will conclude with a poignant scene of Khadijeh trying to convince the lone stork to continue its journey, leaving the audience to question if she is truly communicating with the bird, or confronting her own inner struggles.
