Due to the consequences of Iranian revolution in 1979, Iranian intellectuals had to flee from their beloved country. They mostly settled down in Paris. Challenging with the depression in exile, many of them still tried to build up a new life but mostly unsuccessful. “Trees Die Standing” shows a short and sensorial glimpse of such life, based on memories and letters of Gholam Hosein Saedi. Saedi is one of the most well known contemporary Iranian authors who passed away in 1985 in Paris, as the result of his self-destructive life. This film aims at creating a space based on the emotional state of the character to co- experience his reality through sound and images.

Experimental Documentary by Hoda Siahtiri
22′ | August 2016 | Iran, Belgium