In the wake of the 2022 protests, Iran’s women demanded not only political and personal freedoms but also visible representation. While the fight for these rights garnered global attention, a more subtle battle unfolded within the country’s media landscape. Dominated by male-owned newspapers, women’s faces remained largely absent from front pages. “A Symbolic Smile” chronicles the groundbreaking moment when a woman’s image finally breaks this longstanding taboo, exploring the historical context and the ripple effects of this pivotal change.
Born in 1980 in Iran; Keyvan Mehrgan worked as a political journalist between 1998- 2011, and he was arrested four times because of his activities and spent one year in prison in 2015. He started his career as a documentary filmmaker in 2016 by making the “Frames”. He has also made a mid-length documentary titled “Anti-Memories” in 2017 and “Siavash in the Fire” in 2021. He is living in Tehran now, and continues his career as a filmmaker.
