Silent House
Set against the turbulent backdrop of Iranian history over the last 40 years, Silent House tracks the fortunes of three generations in an upper-middle-class Iranian family. At the center of the story stands a century-old house in Tehran, in which the family lived through times both happy and tragic. The sibling filmmakers draw on a rich archive of family home movies, placing them alongside historical materials and family interviews to create a highly personal narrative. They weave together a rich tapestry of social and political themes to chart the changes of this traditional family from the 1979 revolution onwards. With the house itself acting as a silent witness, the family’s story becomes a mirror for society.
Born in Tehran, Iran, Farnaz Jurabchian works as an independent filmmaker based between Tehran and Toronto. She received her BA in French Literature from Tehran University, and worked as writer and translator for art magazines in Iran. She later immigrated to Canada and studied cinema at Concordia University in Montreal. Most of her films revolve around the notion of homeland and characters that each represent a part of society. Her debut mid-length documentary, Overruled, about unauthorized Afghan tennis players was premiered at Hot Docs 2016 and won 5 international prizes. Her autobiographical documentary Silent House had its world premiere at IDFA 2022, and was nominated for the IDFA Award for Best First Feature. With her brother Mohammadreza Jurabchian, Farnaz started an independent film company, F&M Productions, where they work as co-directors and producers.
Mohammad Reza Jurabchian works as an independent filmmaker and cinematographer based in Tehran. He received his BA in photography from Azad University. He was among the best photographers of the year in the 10th Iranian National Biennial of Photography and had several group exhibitions in and outside Iran. He made several short films and documentaries which have been selected for a number of international film festivals. Jurabchian's films are heavily indebted to photography. He tries to depict his relationship with the world around him and his lived experience. He and his sister, Farnaz Jurabchian, started an independent film company, F&M Productions, where they work as co-directors and producers. They directed Overruled and Silent House together.
