THE QUEEN AND I (DROTTNINGEN OCH JAG)

In April 2008 Farah Pahlavi, the exiled former Queen of Persia, was the guest of honour at a gala in Berlin. She was accompanied by the left-wing filmmaker Nahid Persson, a revolutionist who fought against the Shah in 1979 and was forced to leave her country after Khomeini took power. This film is the meeting of two former political opponents, united in exile. At the gala in Berlin Persson not only met some fervent royalists, but also an old man who told her that he had been tortured under the Shah’s regime and is still haunted by his memories. His utmost wish was that the truth be told and that the world acknowledge the pains of those who suffered from torture. While shooting her portrait of Farah, Persson had to struggle hard to not succumb to the Queen’s gentle charms and, again and again, she had to critically reflect on her own position. Farah, too, had her doubts about being filmed by a former communist and almost cancelled the filming. This film is a compelling study of two Iranian women who, despite their political backgrounds, discover that they have a lot in common.