Docunight #14 (Washington): Caged | Street Sultans
Directed by: Tala Hadavi
2013 / 52 min.
"Caged" tells the story of the iconic MMA athlete, Reza Madadi. Reza fled Iran at the age of 12 and went to Sweden as a refugee. After a youth dotted by run ins with the law, Reza found his savior in the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). His boisterous and charismatic personality quickly won over the hearts of Swedish sports fans, earning him The People's Award four years in a row. His dream came true when he was invited to compete in the best league in the world, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).The film follows his preparation for an UFC fight in Brazil, while shedding light on the personal struggles of a lost immigrant boy searching for the right path.
Swedish-Iranian filmmaker, Tala Hadavi, followed Reza for 5 weeks as he prepared for his controversial fight against Brazilian super star, Christiano Marcello. "Caged" has been translated to three languages and aired in 45 countries.
Tala Hadavi is an award-winning multi-lingual producer and documentary filmmaker. She has traveled the world as a solo filmmaker and produced multimedia projects covering a range of topics for television and commercial clients. Yet, as a former professional basketball player, when it comes to her long-form projects, Tala's fascination with the athlete's psyche and dedication is what has driven the topics of her long-format projects.
Street Sultans
Directed by: Paliz Khoshdel, Zeinab Tabrizy
2011 / 38 min.
Street Sultans is a Documentary about Parkour in Iran. There are several young people who were the pioneer of a dangerous street sport: Parkour. The sport is derived from modern cultural society. They are trying to hold a festival in Tehran.
Street Sultans is the first collaboration documentary film of Zeinab Tabrizy & Paliz Khoshdel
