“We’re not our governments,” says Israel’s Man Nattiv, who co-directed the politically charged sports activities thriller “Tatami” with Iran’s Zar Amir. Initially premiering at Venice in 2023, the movie opened in American film theaters on June 13 as Israel attacked Iran, beginning a struggle — additionally involving the U.S. — that now seems to have been halted by a fragile truce.

Amir, who gained the Cannes greatest actress award in 2022 for “Holy Spider,” stars in “Tatami” because the coach of an Iranian judo athlete named Leila (performed by Arienne Mandi). The Iranian regime offers her an ultimatum, demanding that she pretend an harm and withdraw from the Judo World Championships reasonably than face an Israeli rival within the closing.

Marking the primary collaboration between administrators from Israel and Iran, Nattiv approached Amir to behave within the movie earlier than she grew to become extra concerned, pushed by her want to make the small print absolutely genuine. Nattiv finally invited her to co-direct it.

Beneath, in a wide-ranging dialog with Selection, Nattiv and Amir underline their want to “make artwork, not struggle,” as Nattiv put it, and talk about why their unprecedented collaboration is now “extra needed than ever.”

So much has already been stated in regards to the significance of you working collectively on “Tatami.” What are your ideas on the even better which means of this joint effort after Israel attacked Iran?

Zar Amir: I’m happier than ever that we did this collaboration. I feel the film speaks for itself, however symbolically it means so much to us that we are able to share it with audiences all around the world. I used to be simply speaking to Man and considering that, in terms of making struggle, every little thing appears to be working so nicely. However in terms of peace issues are rather more advanced. So, as an artist who opened herself to this collaboration, I feel we want such a friendship greater than ever. Particularly between us and the Israeli folks.

Man Nattiv: The folks of Israel and the folks of Iran truly love one another. They don’t agree with their poisonous governments. And, on the finish of the day, it by no means was in regards to the governments. , my mom has been sitting in a shelter and there’s bombs all over the place. And Zar’s mom and her household have been in the identical precise state of affairs, regardless that they don’t have shelters. So for me, I’m calling Zar asking her what’s happening along with her household and it feels prefer it’s my household.

“Tatami” is a feminine empowerment sports activities thriller written earlier than the “Lady, Life, Freedom” motion. It appears to have anticipated a number of issues that had been to come back. Did you ever think about it might change into so symbolic?

Nattiv: “Tatami” is definitely impressed by an incident that occurred in 2019 with two male judo figthers: Iran’s Saeid Mollaei and Israel’s Sagi Muki ,who had been mates and had been put in the identical state of affairs. Mollaei was compelled to lose the semi-final to keep away from preventing in opposition to Muki. However within the film we determined to make it feminine athletes as a result of we noticed increasingly more feminine athletes who had been rebelling in opposition to the regime. This made it pure for us to alter the protagonist from male to feminine.

Zar, this movie has been out for a few years. We each know that Iranians see a lot of films utilizing digital non-public networks. Do you might have a way of the which means of “Tatami” for folks inside Iran?

Amir: There has a been a really optimistic response to the film [in Iran]. , once I was in class, we had been all sort of manipulated by the ideology of this authorities. We wanted an enemy, in order that was in our thoughts. However the younger technology now has entry to data, so they’re much extra open-minded than mine or my guardian’s technology. The suggestions has been nice. Many individuals I heard from beloved the film, they had been comfortable about this collaboration. They cried. They bought the emotion that we wished to convey.

Zar, revered Iranian auteur Jafar Panahi, who’s now in Australia, has principally known as for Iranians to “provoke” a democratic authorities. What are your ideas about doable efforts to realize so-called regime change in Iran presently?

Amir: Iran and the entire area are very various. There are a lot of individuals who have totally different concepts and life and have factors of view. Jafar’s perspective comes from Jafar, and I feel many people share this perspective. However you can’t say he represents the vast majority of the folks. What I worry is that, in fact, by struggle you may’t clear up something. Democracy and peace don’t come from struggle. I personally share Jafar’s concepts about this complete factor. However I additionally imagine in a democratic election involving the whole inhabitants, not simply a few of us who’ve a voice. I’m very curious to listen to from those that don’t have a voice. That’s why I say: why can’t they carry peace in one other means? If all these world leaders wish to assist us, why can’t they discover a resolution in order that an actual election will be known as? It will be the primary actual Iranian election in 40 years. Then we might see what folks actually need, in the event that they actually need this regime to step down. It’s straightforward to want for regime change, however how?

Man, how do you are feeling about Benjamin Netanyahu urging the Iranian folks to face as much as the regime?

Nattiv: I’m not a Natanyahu supporter. I by no means was. I really feel “Tatami” isn’t solely about Iran, it’s about totalitarian governments all around the world. And in a means, it’s in regards to the nation I left 15 years in the past. As a result of you may see how the federal government method in Israel is poisonous. They wish to management artwork, they wish to management every little thing. Israelis have misplaced a number of their democratic views, in a means. So “Tatami” can also be just a little bit in regards to the nation that I left, as a result of Israel is veering nearer to what Iran grew to become after the revolution. However not solely Israel. It’s about Russia and China and North Korea and Belarus and Hungary. International locations which can be all diminishing LGBTQ rights and artists’ rights. I feel it’s about what the world has change into. And in a means, it’s additionally about what’s happening within the U.S., the place persons are being arrested due to their views.

This interview has been edited and condensed for readability.