Transit

2004, 34min, 16mm, Color, France

On his way to England, a 20-year-old Afghan young man named Arya passes the European border with a group of young Afghans, Iranians and Kurds. On the way, he loses his good friend Hassan, who suddenly disappeares. But Arya has to go on and ends up in Paris, where he is taken by an Iranian people smuggler to a small hotel room. Here he meets the 18-year-old Iranian Khorsid. They start talking… Transit tells one of the many gripping stories of refugees. The film was shot entirely with refugees who were all applying for asylum in France and waiting for a visa.

“There is a sort of frank gentleness in Bani Khoshnoudi’s approach… No bursts, no forcefulness, no central scene, but rather the opening of a space for the spectator, which goes beyond narration, a space for thought where the world is pulsing, where each character carries on himself the state of the world.”
Yann Goupil, Bref Magazine

Prizes

Grand Jury Prize, Best short film, Premiers Plans Angers Film Festival, 2005
Best screenplay prize, Rencontres Cinématographiques de Gindou

Screenings

Another Screen – “Films from Iran for Iran”, December 2022
Sao Paulo Mostra, 2004
Premiers Plans Angers, 2005
Rotterdam International Film Festival, 2005
Göteborg Exile Film Festival, 2005
Brooklyn International Film Festival, Short film competition, 2005
Larissa New Director’s Film Festival, 2005
Stockholm French Film Festival, 2005
Côté Court Pantin, Short fiction competition, 2005,
Cinema East Film Series (Arte East, New York),
Nice Short Film Festival, 2005
Bordeaux Women’s Film Festival, 2005
Ucan Supurge Ankara Women’s Film Festival, 2005
Tribeca Underground Film Festival, 2005

Credits

Written and directed by Bani Khoshnoudi
Produced by : Christie Molia
Director of Photography : Meyar Al-Roumi
Editing : Farida Kada
Art direction : Anouk
Music : Andy Moor and Yannis Kyriakides
Cast : Ava Farhang, Habib Sadat

Produced by MSVP

With support from CNC, Région Pays de la Loire, France 2 Histoires Courtes