Private Project

And the Shadow Dances

Peyman, a young violinist, has recently moved into a new home and notices that his belongings are scattered in the yard. While on a call with his landlord to express his dissatisfaction, he sees the dancing shadow of a girl from the neighboring house and begins playing his violin, but the girl does not respond. He plays a more cheerful piece a second time, and the girl starts dancing. She moves to the rooftop, continuing her dance with more energy. The landlord calls Peyman to inform him that he will receive the key to the main building within an hour. Delighted by this news, Peyman prepares the yard like a stage with the scattered belongings and plays a piece by Chopin. He plays passionately, and the girl dances with enthusiasm. Suddenly, while Peyman's eyes are closed, a boy joins the girl's dance. Upon opening his eyes and seeing this scene, Peyman stops playing. With a somber expression, he goes to the edge of the yard and gazes at the illuminated cityscape. Peyman prepares his violin and decides to play for the lights of the other houses this time.

  • Mohsen Panahandeh
    Director
  • Mohsen Panahandeh
    Writer
  • Mohsen Panahandeh
    Producer
  • Parsa Farjadmanesh
    Key Cast
    "Peyman"
  • Farzaneh Rezaei
    Key Cast
    "Shadow of the Dancing Girl"
  • Rasoul Hemmati
    Director of Photograghy
  • Amir Parsa
    Editor
  • Alireza Cheraghi
    Sound Recordist
  • Behnia Yousefi
    Sound Design & Sound Mixing
  • Mona Nebahat
    Set Design & Costume Design
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    وقتی سایه می‌رقصید
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Romance, Drama, Musical
  • Runtime:
    10 minutes 35 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    December 19, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    2,200 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Iran, Islamic Republic of
  • Country of Filming:
    Iran, Islamic Republic of
  • Language:
    Persian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    4:3
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Mohsen Panahandeh

Mohsen Panahandeh, born in 1998 in Isfahan, Iran, is a writer, director, and film producer. He began his academic journey with a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, but his enduring passion for cinema led him to pursue a master's degree in Cinema at the University of Architecture and Art Pars. Panahandeh started his career in 2018 by writing short stories and screenplays and working behind the scenes of short films as the first assistant director and script supervisor.
One of his short stories, "This Is Not a True Story," was published in 2024 in the specialized journal of the Tehran University of Art. Additionally, his screenplay for the short film "Madame Chopin," another of his works, was selected as one of the best unproduced screenplays at the 20th Nahal International Film Festival in Tehran that same year.
His short film "And the Shadow Dances" is his first short film, and during its writing and production, he benefited from the insights of his professors, Dr. Ahmad Alasti (Ph.D. in Film Aesthetics from the University of Texas) and Shahram Mokri (winner of the Venice Film Festival's Horizons Award in 2013 for his film Fish & Cat). Panahandeh continues to pursue his cinematic activities seriously and actively. Having recently completed the filming of his second movie, he hopes to proceed with its distribution and screening after the post-production stages.

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Director Statement

As a filmmaker, I always see the motivation for making films as two overlapping circles: one representing the creator's creativity and interests, and the other representing what the audience enjoys. My goal has always been to create films at the intersection of these two circles. With this approach, I made the film "And the Shadow Dances".
Human life oscillates between hope and despair, and I wanted to reflect this reality in my work. The boy in our story sometimes feels hopeful and other times despairing. I often wondered what loneliness feels like. Does our curiosity about the shadow of a neighbor lead anywhere? If we play music for that shadow, will it respond?
The film "And the Shadow Dances" was shaped around these questions. To convey the themes, I aimed to use visual storytelling and avoid direct exposition. This choice led to audience members sharing insights that surprised me. Many of these insights were only in the depths of my mind and were not consciously considered during the filmmaking process.