Oscar-winning filmmaker Guy Nattiv is already fairly well-known for his films Skin and Golda, the latter which received an Oscar nomination but for its hair and makeup, but not for Dame Helen Mirren’s transformative performance. For Nattiv’s new film, Tatami, the filmmaker has a couple key collaborators, notably Persian actress Zar Amir, best known for starring in Holy Spider and Shayda, who makes her directorial debut with the film.
Co-written with Elham Erfani, Tatami explores the world of female Judo competitors, in this case Arienne Mandi’s Leila Hosseini, a top competitor at the Judo World Championship, trying to bring the gold medal back to Iran when she receives an ultimatum from the Islamic Republic via her coach Maryam (played by Ms. Amir) to forfeit or fake an injury to not continue
This demand leaves both Leila and Maryam between a rock and a hard place on whether to follow the orders from the Iranian regime or to fight on and hopefully win.
Cinema Daily US had a chance to speak with Nattiv and Ms. Amir via Zoom for an interview you can watch in the video player above, and while this journalist tries to remain politically neutral, it was impossible not to ask about the situation in Israel, considering that Tatami debuted at the Venice Film Festival literally a month before the Hammas attack that has left the Middle East in shambles. Both filmmakers gave a great answer about the situation there and how art and film could be the great mediator in any tough political situation.
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Directors: Guy Nattiv, Zar Amir
Screenwriters: Guy Nattiv, Elham Erfani
Cast: Arienne Mandi, Zar Amir, Jamie Ray Newman, Ash Goldeh
Producer: Guy Nattiv, Adi Ezroni, Jaime Ray Newman, Mandy Tagger Brockey
Production Co: Keshet Studios
Distributor: XYZ Films
Rating: Unrated
Genre: Drama, Sports
Language: Persian
Release Date (Theaters): June 13, 2025 (NY)
Runtime: 1 hour, 45 minutes
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You can watch the trailer below: