One Must Wash Eyes (Feature Film) - CIFF 2025

One Must Wash Eyes

Directed by: Sepideh Yadegar

Starring: Pegah Ghafoori, Sean Depner, Mitra Lohrasb, Chilton Crane, Gus Tayari, Julianna Alarcon, Navid Charkhi, Yuki Morita, Philip Granger

Run Time: 01:28:23

Premiere Status: U.S Premiere

One Must Wash Eyes is a drama about SAHAR. An aspiring international student from Iran who is naturally suited to academics. Her ambitions take her away from her home, culture, and most importantly, from her MAMAN. Although she has been studying in Vancouver for three and a half years, she has difficulty connecting with her peers after studying and working at her uncle's grocery store. She finds joy in relating to TNT, an eight-year-old kid whose expertise lies in spray-painting poorly drawn smiley faces around the neighbourhood.

Sahar dedicates her downtime to writing feminist articles on her blog that shines light on the Iranian government and its brutal laws against women. When she finds out about the death of Mahsa Amini and the anti-government protests in Vancouver, she is compelled to show her support of the female-led revolution back home.

Sahar’s manager, AHMAD, and her UNCLE HEKMAT, who supported her financially after her dad’s death, get scared of being associated with her actions, and disown her. The Iranian government's cyber police flag Sahar as a danger to the government and suddenly it’s not safe for her to go back home anymore.

Meanwhile, with the lack of funds from her family, she is at risk of losing her study permit and searches for ways to pay for her tuition. With the daunting reality of deportation looming, and the extreme retributions she could face back in Iran, she tries everything to earn her own money. None of her plans work until her new roommate, MATT, offers her a job at BABU’s grow-op. Sahar’s plant knowledge and research ability save the grow-op from powdery mildew, which helps the growth of the black market W**d.

After Sahar receives the tragic news of her maman's passing, she spirals into emotional turmoil and resorts to robbing Ahmad’s store. In a surprising turn of events, she gives the money to TNT’s MOM, who, like Sahar, has been trying to make ends meet and now faces homelessness. Sahar can’t bear the idea of seeing TNT separated from her mom and put in a foster home, so she does what she thinks is right and forgoes the payment of her tuition, missing the last deadline.

Not being able to go back home or continue her education, Sahar only has one option: to apply for refugee status. Life is a war; our survival depends on how we view it. As the title of the film suggests, “One Must Wash Eyes", and one must see differently, drawing from an excerpt of a famous Iranian poem by Sohrab Sepehri.

Host or Publisher Chandler International Film Festival