Seti loves music and singing, and she yearns for her voice to be heard. Great, you say? No problem, you say? Well, not so fast! What you need to know is that Seti lives in Iran, where it is against the law for women to perform in public.

That is why Soheil Beiraghi’s fourth feature, Bidad, meaning Outcry, world premiering as the long-secret 12th movie in the Crystal Globe Competition of the 59th edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) on July 9, would not be allowed by the censors in his home country.

Seti is its protagonist, and she won’t be silenced without standing up for herself. “In the heart of Tehran, Seti, a girl from Generation Z, dreams of sharing her voice with the world. But in a society where women
are not allowed to sing in public, her dream feels impossibly distant,” reads a plot summary for the film. “Refusing to give up, she turns the city streets into her stage, the only place where she feels truly free. Singing courageously to passersby, she discovers the quiet power of self-expression and the strength it takes to follow her passion, no matter the obstacles.”

As such, the independent film “fights for all those whose voice remains unjustly silenced,” the Czech festival highlights.

Bidad stars Sarvin Zabetian (180 Degree Rule, Terrestrial Verses), Leili Rashidi, and Amir Jadidi. Beiraghi (I, Cold Sweat, Popular) wrote, directed, produced, and co-edited the movie, and he handled art direction. His Alef Pictures is the production company and is also handling sales. Unpopular, which centers on complex female protagonists confronting societal and institutional barriers, was notably barred from public screening in Iran for more than two years. In addition to his film work, Beiraghi has directed for the stage and served on international film festival juries.

Directed undercover for safety reasons, Bidad has drawn much attention since KVIFF said that it would hold off on unveiling details about its final competition film until later to protect its creative team. When it was finally announced last week, the festival highlighted: “Beiraghi was investigated by the authorities during filming. It was necessary to withhold announcement of the film’s inclusion in the festival’s program until he and the members of his crew could safely travel out of Iran. A few days ago, the festival team was overjoyed to hear that they were on their way.”

A few days later, KVIFF artistic director Karel Och told THR: “We were blown away, not just by the political aspect of the film and the courage of the filmmakers to go that far concerning something, which in our parts of the world is just a natural thing – seeing a young woman singing in the streets of a metropolis, but also by how it’s made. It’s not just about the content. It’s a really well-made film that has the potential to talk to people all around the world.”

A trailer for Bidad, which THR can now exclusively debut, introduces Seti and the challenges she faces, including with security forces, along with other characters, including one wearing a LeBron James L.A. Lakers jersey. A kitchen fire and alcohol also feature before emotions look ready to boil over. In one scene, push comes to shove – literally.

Watch the full trailer for Bidad below