A feature film by Sara Rajaei
Production: near/by film and seriousFilm (NL) in co-production with Ladybirds Films (FR) and in association with Alambic Production

When Raana passes away, het daughter, Roya, narrates her mother's history like a set of nesting dolls, each memory leading to the next. As the events unfold to transport us backwards in time, key moments of Iranian contemporary history shape the story of thsi family of women.

Director's Statement

"Family stories are either personally witnessed or inherited through the power of storytelling. No matter how ordinary a family is, it often holds a heart full of tragedies and contradicting incidents.

The characters of my first feature film, Headless Trees, carry the weight of a turbulent past on their back. To overcome their inherited traumas, they dive into the labyrinth of their heritage, searching the hidden corners of their family history. They confront themselves to comprehend the pain that has formed their backbone and strengthened their souls. They inspire themselves by the ghosts of their past to learn to avoid recurring traumas. Their quest will liberate the future generation from the burden of superstition, fear, and socio-political injustice.

I was raised by my grandmother, an imaginative, passionate storyteller who loved poetry, dancing, and singing. Her stories often highlighted her life, which she would dramatically connect to magic and the supernatural. To shape a tangible portrayal of the family in Headless Trees, I have used my own family as a source of inspiration and have merged some personal and inherited memories and traumas into the film's plot."