Private Project

MITOSIS

Kaveh, a gifted but isolated sculptor in Tehran, lives trapped between his art and his forbidden identity as a gay man. His workshop is both sanctuary and prison—where he channels his loneliness into angular, tormented statues. His strained relationship with Farhad, his latest lover, is crumbling under the weight of societal repression and Kaveh’s own inability to reconcile physical desire with emotional intimacy.

One night, as Kaveh chips away at a new statue, he hears it whisper—indistinct, almost rhythmic, like a distorted echo of his own thoughts. At first, he dismisses it as exhaustion, but the whispers grow louder, more insistent. They mirror his subconscious: fragments of guilt, yearning, and the unspoken words he could never share with Farhad.

When Kaveh abruptly ends things with Farhad (like all his past relationships), Farhad retaliates by shattering the only statue they created together—a symbol of their fractured connection. This act triggers Kaveh’s obsession. He works feverishly, day and night, as the whispers guide his chisel. The statue takes shape: a grotesque yet beautiful figure, its mouth parted mid-sentence, its limbs twisted as if frozen mid-embrace.

As the statue nears completion, Kaveh’s grip on reality slips. The whispers now feel like Farhad’s voice, or perhaps his own. In his final act, Kaveh sands the statue’s surface until it gleams—only to realize his own skin has turned to stone. The camera lingers on two identical figures: the statue, now "perfect," and Kaveh, himself now a sculpture, forever trapped in the act of creation.

  • RAHA ZAHRA HAJIZEINAL
    Director
  • ALI SAFARI
    Writer
  • SORAN KARIMI
    Producer
  • ANAHITA MOUGOUEI
    Producer
  • MEHDI ABOOHAMZEH
    Key Cast
    "Kaveh"
  • FARID ZANGI
    Key Cast
    "Farhad"
  • Hanif Parandeh
    Cinematograper
  • Ali Safari
    Set Designer
  • Morteza Maleknia
    Costume Designer
  • Hanif Parandeh
    Edit, Colorist, Music
  • Meisam Motamedi
    Sound
  • Soheil Hosein Khani
    Sound
  • Raha Hajizeinal
    Make-Up Artist
  • Ali Mohammadi
    Camera first Asisstant
  • Navid Panahi
    Camera second Asisstant
  • Javad Taghizadeh
    Best Boy
  • Farid Zangi
    First director assistant
  • Ghazaal Gholamiii
    Script Superviser
  • Alireza Salmanian
    Stagehand
  • Reza Javidi
    Photographer
  • Parisa Tavakoli
    Photographer
  • Amirhossein Yaghmouri
    Behind the scene
  • Amin Ghanbari
    Graphic
  • Saeed Zamani
    Unit production manager
  • Asif Ghasemi
    The Production assistant
  • Farshad Hassani
    PRODUCTION IT SUPPORT
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    19 minutes 59 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    December 31, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    9,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Iran, Islamic Republic of
  • Country of Filming:
    Iran, Islamic Republic of
  • Shooting Format:
    XVAC 4K, 422 10 BIT
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.2:35
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - ELMI KARBORDI UNIVERSITY
Distribution Information
  • Large Format Studio
    Distributor
    Country: Iran, Islamic Republic of
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - RAHA ZAHRA HAJIZEINAL

Raha Hajizeinal Born on May 26, 1987, in Tehran, Raha Hajizeinal began her acting career while studying cinema at university, later transitioning into theater and filmmaking. A bold and visionary artist, she has established herself as a dynamic force in both Iranian and international cinema and theater.

Cinematic Career
Hajizeinal has directed three films, including her upcoming feature, Mitosis—a poignant exploration of identity and marginalization in Iranian society. Her previous work, Niaz, earned her the Best Director award at the Iranian National Youth Festival, solidifying her reputation as a compelling storyteller.

Her first professional collaboration in cinema was with acclaimed filmmaker Alireza Amini, marking the beginning of her journey as a filmmaker. She has also contributed to notable projects such as:

Asphyxia

Shabash

Maman

No. 9

Blue Whale

Like a Nightmare

Theater Work & International Recognition
In September 2021, Hajizeinal staged two powerful plays—Holodomor and Auschwitz—at the Lviv Theater Festival in Ukraine, where her work was met with critical acclaim. Her uncompromising vision earned her the Special Jury Prize at the Golden Lion Theater Festival (Lviv, Ukraine), further cementing her status as an artist unafraid to confront difficult truths.

Artistic Vision
Hajizeinal’s work consistently challenges societal norms, amplifying the voices of the marginalized through raw, emotional storytelling. Whether in film or theater, she explores themes of identity, oppression, and resilience, pushing boundaries to provoke thought and inspire change.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

A Voice for the Marginalized

I live in a society where good and evil are starkly divided—where everything is either wholly accepted or utterly rejected. Minorities, whether women, LGBTQ+ individuals, artists, or others, are often pushed to the margins. To desire something outside the norms of my society is to risk humiliation, rejection, or worse. The price of authenticity here is painfully high.

This is the reality I explore in my film, Mitosis. Kaveh, the protagonist, is a sculptor—an artist who molds his desires, dreams, and identity into his work. But he is also queer, and his very existence defies the rigid "dos and don’ts" imposed by society. Like so many in my country, he is forced to navigate a world that denies him the right to be seen, to love, or even to create without judgment.

Kaveh’s story is not just his own. He represents all those who live in secrecy, whose purest emotions and simplest dreams are labeled "wrong." Through his eyes, I want to show the private struggles of an artist yearning for a normal life—a life where love is not a crime, where art is not rebellion, and where identity is not erased.

In Mitosis, I depict the quiet beauty of Kaveh’s world: how deeply he feels, how fiercely he loves, and how cruelly that love burns him. But this film is not just about pain. It is a demand for recognition. I want audiences—especially in Iran and beyond—to see Kaveh not as an outlier, but as a mirror of our shared humanity. To recognize that artists, minorities, and every silenced voice deserve dignity, no matter their choices.

My hope is that Mitosis will challenge the prejudices of my society and the wider world. To make the invisible visible. To remind viewers that behind every "controversial" choice is a person—one who laughs, creates, and bleeds just like anyone else.

Artists are not threats. They are the soul of a society. And it’s time we honored that.