Hesam Eslami
Directing
Biography
Tehran-based filmmaker, directing and producing documentaries for international television and cinema since 2013. He earned his BFA and MA in Cinema from the Tehran University of Art. His recent work focuses on the margins of Iranian society, including 20th Circuit Suspects (Hot Docs, 2017), The Marriage Project (Visions du Réel, 2020), and A Band of Dreamers and a Judge (IDFA, 2023).
Known For
In a mountainous region of northern Iran, a group of men in their forties are looking for a solution to their financial woes. Business is bad, the economy is in the doldrums, and they would leave if they could—but that would also cost money. The only thing they’ve got left is to seek treasures. This isn’t an entirely unrealistic idea in Iran, where thousands of years of history and gold coins lie waiting to be discovered in ancient tombs, catacombs and caves, even though treasure hunting is strictly prohibited.
A Band of Dreamers and a Judge
In a digitally surveilled Tehran, the tables turn on those in power. The city's inhabitants face a sudden change that upends the status quo, sparking a tense exploration of privacy, authority, and the consequences of ubiquitous monitoring.