Synopsis
Freedom Is Beautiful is the story of two extraordinary, charismatic Kurdish refugees, Farhad Bandesh and Mostafa (Moz) Azimitabar who fled persecution in Iran and arrived in Australia separately by boat seeking asylum in 2013.
On Manus Island, where they spent 6 years, they met and formed a close friendship founded on art, music and a shared desire to speak out and resist. In 2019 they spent 18 months in immigration detention in Melbourne. In 2021 they finally gained their freedom.
During their years of captivity, they witnessed suffering and death, were isolated, dehumanised and assailed by a system designed to humiliate and break them. They refused to succumb.
Instead, they found tranquillity through music and art. This not only helped them survive, but also fight back, building their networks and using their voices to fight tirelessly for the freedom of everyone held.
Told in their own words, Freedom is Beautiful is an uplifting story of the power of love and our shared humanity.
Story
The narrative arc of Freedom Is Beautiful charts the story of two subjects, Moz and Farhad: from their childhoods in Iran, to their journey to Australia, their subsequent 8 year detention, their freedom and finally to their life in the community as activists and artists who continue to fight for all those still suffering under the Federal Government’s policy and to change it, with the support of many other Australians. Their stories is told by the men almost entirely in their own words which is a pivotally important foundation of the doco. As art and music has been a crucial part of their survival, their resistance against the regime, and their method for creating networks with individual Australians, considerable focus is given to this. Although the film deals with difficult and confrontational human suffering, its messages about love, freedom and the beautiful solidarity between people is constructed to inspire the viewer and make the film an uplifting human experience.
Production Stage
- Development
- Production
- Post-production
- Completed
- Outreach
DURATION: 67 MINUTES
Issue area
HUMAN RIGHTS & SOCIAL JUSTICE
HUMAN RIGHTS & SOCIAL JUSTICE
CONTACT FILM TEAM