Tatami is a groundbreaking political sports thriller co-directed by Iranian/French Cannes Best Actress winner Zar Amir-Ebrahimi and Israeli Academy Award winner Guy Nattiv—the first-ever collaboration of its kind between Iranian and Israeli filmmakers.
Inspired by true events, Tatami follows Leila, an Iranian judo athlete (Arienne Mandi) who is ordered to fake an injury rather than compete against an Israeli opponent in the world championship finals. Defying this order puts her, her coach (Amir-Ebrahimi), and her family in grave danger. In a fight for freedom and dignity, what is she willing to give up.
The film premiered at Venice 2023 and has won multiple awards, including Best Actress & a Special Jury Award at the Tokyo Film Festival and Best Film at the Munich Film Festival.
Amir and Nattiv see their artistic and cinematographic collaboration as a tribute to artists and athletes everywhere who have been forced to give up their dreams – sometimes even forced to leave their countries and loved ones – because of the conflict between systems and governments. With Tatami, they ultimately hope to show the world that humanity and partnership always win.
Check out our interview with Guy and Zar. This interview has been edited for clarity.