THE APEX TIMES
Nader Saeivar brings Berlin-set drama ‘Hijamat’ to Karlovy Vary, as friend Jafar Panahi cannot travel
The Iranian filmmaker Nader Saeivar will premiere his family drama ‘Hijamat’ in Karlovy Vary on July 8, without longtime collaborator Jafar Panahi, whose passport has reportedly been taken by Iranian authorities after a verdict tied to “propaganda against the regime.”
Nader Saeivar will travel to Prague for the July 8 world premiere of his Berlin-set family drama “Hijamat,” a bittersweet milestone he is marking without Jafar Panahi, the writer-director who produced and edited the film but, according to reporting, cannot leave Iran. Saeivar’s appearance is tied to the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival’s 60th edition, where “Hijamat” is slated for the festival’s Crystal Globe main competition and Saeivar is the only filmmaker from the project expected to attend.
The Hollywood Reporter reported that Panahi had been hoped for the festival delegation but returned to Iran after the Oscar campaign surrounding “It Was Just an Accident,” a Cannes 2025 Palme d’Or winner that Saeivar and Panahi co-wrote. During the earlier phase of shooting, Saeivar left Iran for Berlin in the middle of production, and “Hijamat” is described as the first feature by Saeivar that was fully made outside the country.
Panahi’s absence comes amid legal and travel restrictions reported by The Hollywood Reporter. The report says Iranian authorities took Panahi’s passport, and that he faces another prison term in Iran following a verdict that found him guilty of “propaganda against the regime.” The report frames the situation as a key reason Saeivar will be presenting the film alone on the international stage.
In “Hijamat,” Kida Khodr Ramadan plays Murad, a deeply religious Muslim brother who struggles to protect his younger sibling, Kerem (Jael Cem Ilhan), after learning that the boy is gay. As long-buried family secrets surface, the story escalates tensions inside the close-knit household, with the family’s Berlin life threatened by the personal and moral conflict created by those secrets, according to the film’s reported premise.
The cast listed in the report also includes Nicolette Krebitz, Aziz Capkurt, Moritz Bleibtreu, and Nastassja Kinski. Saeivar discussed the film’s title as well, tying it to “hijamat,” an ancient therapeutic practice also known as wet cupping, which is designed to draw out small amounts of blood for pain relief and detoxification, the report says.
Saeivar described the relationship between the two filmmakers as close even amid Panahi’s constraints, according to The Hollywood Reporter’s account. The report says he continues to speak with Panahi and that Panahi’s role in the project extends beyond authorship, with his work on “Hijamat” including producing and editing even though he cannot attend the premiere.
With the Karlovy Vary premiere scheduled for July 8 and the film competing for Crystal Globe recognition, the immediate cultural focus for audiences will be on how Saeivar’s Berlin family drama lands on the festival circuit, while the institutional spotlight will also remain on Panahi’s reported inability to travel and the legal circumstances described by the press.
For Saeivar, the premiere at Karlovy Vary serves as a test of the film’s international reception while the film’s production story reflects the broader logistical realities faced by Iranian filmmakers working outside their home jurisdiction. The public next step will be the festival screening and any related Q-and-A sessions, where Saeivar is expected to address both the film’s themes and the circumstances that kept Panahi in Iran, as reported.
Why It Matters
- The July 8 Karlovy Vary premiere will determine how “Hijamat,” a Berlin-centered drama by an Iranian director, is received in a major European film competition.
- Panahi’s reported inability to attend highlights how legal and travel restrictions can affect international festival participation and the visibility of credited collaborators.
- The film’s central family conflict, including religious belief and LGBTQ-related family dynamics, is likely to be tested by audiences in a public festival setting.
- The production and travel circumstances described by the press add institutional context for how festival delegations and press coverage work when filmmakers face government-imposed travel constraints.
Key Facts
- Nader Saeivar’s film “Hijamat” is set to have its world premiere at the 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival on Wednesday, July 8, in the Crystal Globe main competition.
- The Hollywood Reporter reported that Jafar Panahi, a long-time collaborator who produced and edited “Hijamat,” cannot travel from Iran to attend the premiere.
- The report says Saeivar left Iran for Berlin during the shoot of “It Was Just an Accident,” and that “Hijamat” is his first feature fully made outside of Iran.
- “Hijamat” is described as a Berlin-set family drama in which Murad struggles when he learns his younger brother Kerem is gay, amid long-buried secrets that threaten the religious family’s stability.
- The report lists Kida Khodr Ramadan, Jael Cem Ilhan, Nicolette Krebitz, Aziz Capkurt, Moritz Bleibtreu, and Nastassja Kinski among the cast.
- The Hollywood Reporter described the film title “Hijamat” as referencing an ancient therapeutic practice, also known as wet cupping, used for pain relief and detoxification.
- The report said Iranian authorities took Panahi’s passport and that he faces another prison term following a verdict tied to “propaganda against the regime.”