Fireworks Wednesday

By Asghar Farhadi

Original title – Chahar Shanbeh Souri
International title – Fireworks Wednesday
French title – La Fête du Feu

Synopsis

Three days prior to the Iranian New Year Rouhi, a maid, is hired to clean the home of  Morteza, Mojdeh and their child. Mojdeh suspects her husband is cheating on her. The young maid observes the relationships and realities of this family during Fireworks Wednesday. This is the story of one day in the life of an Iranian family.

Cast

Hedieh Tehrani – Taraneh Alidousti – Hamid Farokh-Nejad –
Pantea Bahram – Matin Heydarnia – Houman Seyedi –
Hassan Tasïri – Sahar Dolatshahi – Ebrahim Javadi –
Forough Ghojabeyglou

Crew

Directed by – Asghar Farhadi
Screenplay – Asghar Farhadi & Mani Haghighi
Director of Photography – Hossein Jafarian
Editing – Hayedeh Safiyari
Original Music – Peyman Yazdanian
Sound Designer & Mix – Massoud Behnam
Sound Recordists – Hassan Zahedi & Hossein Abousedgh

Producer – Jamal Sadatian
Production Company – Boshra Films

Distribution in the United States of America by:
Grasshopper Film, LLC

Fireworks Wednesday Film Review
42nd Chicago International Film Festival – USA – 2006
By Duane Byrge

“By thrusting his theme into a small and shrill domestic drama, Farhadi extrapolates a larger picture of contemporary Iran, a hellhole where no one trusts anyone and where everyone is under constant judgmental surveillance. In particular, through this rousing drama, we are privy to the plight of women who must survive oppressions of every nature; essentially, they must endure through guile and secrecy.
Under Farhadi’s disciplined hand, ‘Fireworks Wednesday’ is a spare but explosive story of personal turmoil aggravated by relentless institutional oppression.”

Awards & Festivals

  • Winner of: ‘Best Director’, ‘Best Actress’, ‘Best Editing’ – Fajr International Film Festival–Iran, 2006.
  • Winner of: ‘Junior Jury Award’ – Locarno International Film Festival, Switzerland, 2006.
  • Winner of:  ‘GOLD HUGO – Best Feature Narrative’ –Chicago International Film Festival–USA, 2006.
  • Winner of: ‘Special Jury Prize – Best Screenplay’ – Les 3 Continents, Nantes–France, 2006.
  • Winner of: ‘Rajata Chakoram Award – Best Director’ –Kerala International Film Festival–India, 2006.
  • Winner of: ‘GOLD LADY HARIMAGUADA – Best Feature’ – Las Palmas de Gran Canaria IFF–Spain, 2007.
  • Winner of: ‘Best Director Award’ – Festival International du Cinéma d’auteur de Rabat–Moroco, 2007.
  • Winner of : ‘Best Film’ – 20ème Anniversaire RRC–Rencontres Cinématographiques de Cannes, France, 2007.

● Locarno International Film Festival, Switzerland. August 02–12, 2006. ‘Official Competitive’ section.
● Festival des Films du Monde de Montréal, Canada. August 24-September 04, 2006. ‘Non-Competitive’ section.
● 43rd Antalya International Film Festival ‘Golden Orange’, Turkey. September 16-23, 2006. ‘Competition – Critic’s Award’ section.
● 42nd Chicago International Film festival, USA. October 05-19, 2006. ‘Official Competitive’ section.
● FILMFEST Hamburg, Germany. October 05-12, 2006. ‘Non-Competitive Festival’.
● 33rd Flanders International Film Festival, Ghent, Beilgium. October 10-21, 2006. ‘Non-Competitive’ section.
● 50th London Film Festival, UK. October 18-November 02, 2006. ‘Non-Competitive Festival’.
● The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA. November 10-December 03, 2006. ‘Non-Competitive Festival’.
● 47th Thessaloniki International Film Festival, Greece. November 17-26, 2006. ‘Competitive – Independent days’ section.
● 28ème Festival 3 Continents de Nantes, France. November 21-28, 2006. ‘Official Competitive’ section.
● 37th International Film Festival of India (Goa). November 23-December 03 2006. ‘Non competitive’ section.
● 11th International Film Festival of Kerala, South India. December 08-15, 2006. ‘Official Competitive’ section.
● 20ème Rencontres Cinéma de Manosques, France. January 30-February 04, 2007. ‘Non-Competitive Festival’.
● 24th Film Festival ‘Cinema Novo’, Brugge, Belgium. March 08-18, 2007. ‘Non competitive’ section.
● 8th Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival, Spain. March 16-March 24, 2007. ‘Official Competitive’ section.
● Febiofest International Film Festival, Prague, Republique Tcheque. March 22-30, 2007. ‘Non-Competitive Festival’.
● 18th NatFilm Festival, Copenhagen, Sweden. March 23-April 01, 2007. ‘Non-Competitive Festival’.
● Tribeca Film Festival, New York, USA. April 25-May 06, 2007. ‘Non-Competitive’ section.
● 8th Jeonju International Film Festival, Korea. April 26-May 04, 2007. ‘Non Competitive’ section.
● Los Angeles Film Festival, Los Angeles, USA. June 21-July 01, 2007. ‘International Showcase’ section.
● 29th Moscow International Film Festival, Rusian. June 21-30, 2007. ‘Non-Competitive’ section.
● 8ème Festival International du Cinéma d’auteur de Rabat, Maroc. June 21-30, 2007. ‘Competitive’ section.
● Traverse City Film Festival, Michigan, USA. July 31-August 05, 2007.
● 23th Rencontres cinéma de Gindou, France. August 18-25, 2007. ‘Non-Competitive Festival’.
● 10th Iranian Film Today, High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. August 24-September 29, 2007.’Non-Competitive Festival’.
● Date Palm Film Festival, New Zealand. From August 30-September 17, 2007. ‘Non-Competitive Festival’.
● 17th Films from the South Film Festival, Oslo, Norway. October 04-11, 2007. ‘Competitive’ section.
● Third Eye 6th Asian Film Festival, Mumbai, India. November 01-08, 2007. ‘Non-Competitive’ section.
● 13th Medfilm Festival, Rome, Italy. November 08-18, 2007. ‘Non-Competitive’ section.
● 20th Rencontres Cinématographiques de Cannes, France. December 10-16, 2007.
● 5th Muscat International Film Festival, Sultanet of Oman. January 22-29, 2008. ‘Competitive’ section.
● UNIVERSITE DE TOULOUSE ‘LE MIRAIL’, France. March 05, 2008.
Intervenant: Philippe Ragel, maître de conférences en Lettres Modernes.
● Ciné club de Genève, Suisse. March 17, 2008.
● OFF CAMERA International Film Festival, Cracow, Poland. October 02-05, 2008.
● CARTHAGE FILM FESTIVAL, Tunis, Tunisia. October 25-November 01, 2008. C/O NOMADIS IMAGES.
● Third edition of the Berlin Independent Filmfestival AROUND THE WORLD IN 14 FILMS, Berlin, Germany. November 28-December 06, 2008.
● Middle Eastern Film Festival 2009, Filmhouse Edinburgh, UK. From January 31-February 19, 2009. ‘Non-Competitive Festival’.
● Middle East Now Film Festival, Firenze, Italia. February 03-07, 2010. ‘Non-Competitive Festival’.
● Discovery Zone-Luxembourg City Film Festival. April 28-May 05, 2011. ‘Non-Competitive’ section.