Maryam Ataei and Hossein Keshavarz will be in Park City for the debut of their film “The Friend’s House is Here” at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival in the U.S. Dramatic Competition category — a feat that took more than their own talents and plenty of sheer luck.
Filmed in Iran in the days after the attacks by Israel over June 13-24, 2025, the husband-and-wife writer-directors recalled the dangers of deciding to finish their project.
“When we went back to Iran, that was right after the war, so they were executing people left and right. And so it was a really dangerous time,” Keshavarz said. “We were under so much pressure. … We could have been arrested at any point, and every morning, we would wake up and we would hug each other.”
But despite the warnings of family and friends, the couple were like-minded in their decision: they had to go back and finish what they’d started. That passion for the story overruled their fear.
“We feel like there’s a story that needs to be told that’s not being told, and that inspires you to do things. Looking back at it now, we’re getting afraid for all the things that we did,” Keshavarz said with a laugh. “We’re getting the stress of that now. But when you’re in the moment and you make the decision to do it, then you just do it.”
The result is a film that tells the story of two young women — played by Mahshad Bahram and Hana Mana — in Iran’s underground art scene, who build their own world of freedom and sisterhood despite the risks. While Keshavarz and Ataei wrote the script, they said it was molded around the stories and lives of the actors, most of whom were already participating in the thriving in their own underground art communities.
Ataei, who grew up in Tehran and studied theater and cinema in Iran, said just 15 years ago, there wasn’t a community resisting the government through art. But the younger generations had completely changed the game, primarily following the Women, Life, Freedom movement launched in September 2022 after the death of Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish-Iranian woman who was arrested by the morality police for not wearing her hijab properly.
“There are so many, many, many underground plays, theaters, music, which I think is inspiring and amazing,” Ataei said. “We met so many amazing actors, theater makers, artists, musicians, and honestly, it was inspiring for both of us. And they are brave. They’re so brave.”
For example, in one play held in a conservative area in Iran, the lead female actor performed without a hijab and in the nude during the show. The couple said this community’s talent rivaled shows they’d seen even in New York City, where they’re based. So they knew they wanted to make a movie about the country’s underground life, plays and young people.
“There’s all this political … shit happening, but at the same time, the people are not anyone’s victims. They’re living exciting lives, and they’re much more interesting, I think, than most people I know, and much more alive than most people we know,” Keshavarz said. “They’re not going to let anyone put them down, and that’s the thing we wanted to celebrate.”
Part of telling that story is finding a balance between showing the politics impacting people’s lives, but also depicting the three-dimensional humanity, he said.
“A lot of films, their politics is too foregrounded, and it’s not about people, and it’s not about the experiences, and doesn’t do them justice,” he said. “We wanted to show their lives in a way that felt honest and enjoyable, because they’re fun people, and they’re happy, and they suffer because of all the shit, but they still want to live their lives.”
That story, the two said, should resonate not just with the Iranians it depicts, but anyone who sees the film.
“It’s a very cinephile film. We try to bring our own artsy aesthetic,” Keshavarz said. “It’s a film that is expressive. It’s a film that has artistic vision. You don’t know anything about Iran, but you can respond to the film as a work of cinema.”
Part of that aesthetic strategy, which fits with styles traditionally found at Sundance, is opting for long, one-take shots — a choice that made the writer-directors’ jobs a lot harder. Ataei said that’s because “you get what you get.”
Having a great cast is key. In some cases, they put their actors in real scenarios and let them improvise. And as an underground project, and without veils, it was all extremely risky.
“Our group, we would do anything for them, and they would do anything for us. I love these people with all my heart. The bond you make is so intense,” Keshavarz said.
As a community, both in and out of the film, the cast and crew embodied the exact values shown through the final product.
“One thing we want to show is that so much of Persian culture is based on community. So much of Persian culture is based on helping each other,” Keshavarz said. “It’s under so much economic duress, but you don’t see people living on the streets, because there’s always someone who’s going to help out someone else.”
The couple said the film is “a joyful ode to these people.” Despite the challenges, it was one of the best experiences in their lives.
“We were joking that there’s bravery in their water or something, you become so brave because everybody was brave,” she said. “The people I met, the amazing energy they had, the way they helped us, the way they gave us this courage. It was fantastic.”
“The Friend’s House is Here” will premiere at 8:45 p.m. on Jan. 24 at the Library Center Theatre, followed by a Q and A with the directors. Currently, only one of the two lead actors can attend the festival due to the U.S. travel ban against Iran, pending potential action by a Utah senator.
Learn more and reserve tickets at festival.sundance.org/program/film/6932fa5c1a5535d5c891aef1.
‘The Friend’s House is Here’ in-person screenings
- 8:45 p.m., Jan. 24, Library Center Theatre
- 4:40 p.m., Jan. 25, Megaplex Redstone 2
- 8:10 p.m., Jan. 30, Megaplex Redstone 2
- 6:45 p.m., Feb. 1, Holiday Village Cinemas 1
Online
- 8 a.m. Jan. 29-11:55 p.m., Feb. 1