Venice 2024: Shahab Fotouhi’s ‘Boomerang’ is a Real Fest Discovery
by Alex Billington
September 9, 2024
Hidden within the line-ups of major film festivals are always a few surprises, a few outstanding discoveries that prove cinema is still evolving and growing in invigorating ways. I am happy to report that Boomerang from Iran is one of these discoveries from the 2024 Venice Film Festival line-up. It premiered in the 2024 Venice Days sidebar, also known as Giornate degli Autori which is the Venice Directors’ Fortnight section. Boomerang marks the feature directorial debut of the up-and-coming Iranian filmmaker Shahab Fotouhi, who studied art and has been working in the art scene for years before finally making the leap into making films. Boomerang is a vibrant Iranian film that is uplifting and smart and vividly shot, so many perfectly composed moments including one where the two of the kids kids climb up a tree on the road in Tehran while a cop car drives by. I adore this film so much I had to rewatch it twice just to get immersed in the vibes and the amazing score and the filmmaking all over again. This is the very fresh cinema I’m always searching for.
The clever title Boomerang seems to be a reference to the idiom of what goes around comes around and the notion that society is cyclical despite always remaining in motion. The story follows a group of people living in modern day Tehran, Iran – though it’s a vividly modern depiction of the city. It’s lively and energetic and doesn’t come across as oppressive as it sounds like when you read the news about what’s happening in the country recently. There are two couples the film focuses on: one is an older couple (the parents) on the verge of divorce, with the husband and wife each looking the other way, ready to move on. The other is a young couple (the kids), having just met randomly on the street, finding connection amidst the turbulent times in Tehran. What’s so remarkably beautiful and inspiring about Boomerang is how it feels like a revolution in modern Iranian cinema. It presents Tehran like I’ve never seen: as a place where young people are finding their groove, and where they can express themselves in their own unique ways – with young women leading them forward, of course. Only Jafar Panahi has pulled off a similar vibe in a few films; most Iranian cinema nowadays is bleak & depressing (because of the recent politics). This is the exact opposite and it’s a triumph.
Shahab Fotouhi’s Boomerang has it all: an Iranian Timothée Chalamet (played by Ali Hanafian as the boy named Keyvan), an amazing electro soundtrack enhancing the vividness of the city, meticulously composed cinematography of Tehran, a few fun dance scenes, amusing arguments, clever comedy, and so much more. This is top notch filmmaking, a rejuvenating work of art that represents an optimistic future for Tehran that is so needed right now. I really loved discovering this film and cannot wait get my hands on this funky cool electro music in it. There’s a score by Panagiotis Mina that is so distinct and catchy that I wake up every day humming the songs, hoping one day I can listen to the album over & over. Best of all, the filmmaking is minimalistic yet deeply expressive, speaking loudly without having to literally say out loud what it’s trying to comment on about Iran: societal frustrations, evolving generations, etc. I want to shout from the rooftops about how amazing this is, and how Iranian cinema needs this refreshing new take. I’m so glad this film was given a chance to shine in Venice Days’ line-up, and I hope it gets the attention it deserves from audiences.
Alex’s Venice 2024 Rating: 9 out of 10
Follow Alex on Twitter – @firstshowing / Or Letterboxd – @firstshowing
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