Interview with Houri Shafieioun director of "1133" short film

What was your motivation for making the film?

My motivation for making this film is to gather a resume for making movies and more successes.

How did the idea of the film come to you?

I have always been interested in the topic of women issues, and since Ive been watching the lives of people around me, I realized that a married woman is deprived of many rights, and that’s how the idea came to my mind.

What is your main goal of filmmaking in Iran?

My goal in filmmaking in Iran is to show a true face of femininity, to show the female hero, but this time not as a mother or selfless woman and the characters we have always seen, but the female hero with a different character.

How concerned is the subject of the movie and why did you choose this one?

In my opinion, the topic of the film is a big concern, 80 percent of the right to divorce is with the man! I chose this issue to show how sometimes wrong rules can drive a woman to such madness that she is ready to hurt herself regardless of anything.

How did you come to these cast and crew and what are your criteria for selection?

I have been working behind the scenes of cinema for 8 years, and I knew these crew from behind the scenes, the selection criterion was their work ethic and honesty.

What were the Problems with the film production?

There was not any special problems in the production process, but unfortunately the sound engineer did not come to the scene (due to a problem) and fortunately, since I worked in the sound group for several years, I was able to record the sound myself.

Tell us about the positive points and good memories in making, producing, writing the script, finding the crew or any other subject that can inspire the filmmakers?

After making the movie, everyone told me that we actually came to a party and we also made a movie at the same time, because I believe that we should write a script within the budget we have so as not to put pressure on the actors. If we do this, everyone will work with interest. but if we have high expectations, difficult locations with low budgets, and annoy the crew with bad food or working time, the result of the work will be bad. I made this film in my home and tried not to put pressure on anyone.

Tell us about the film funding and the challenges?

The budget of this film was by myself and I could barely afford it. considering that I have been behind the scenes of cinema for many years, my colleagues were very kind to me and this project was one of my best experiences.

What are your expectations of your movie?

I expect it to be seen in festivals, because I think it might be interesting to see such a strange law for other countries. And on the other hand, I really wanted to get more certificates to build up my resume. Especially for making a movie, these certificates are very valuable.