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The Passion of A Revolutionary Cinderella

The Passion of A Revolutionary Cinderella (75 min.) is the story of an Iranian women’s rights activist and journalist who converted to Christianity at 17. Mary Mohammadi was arrested and imprisoned for her faith at age 19. After enduring multiple arrests and sexual violence, she left Iran in 2022 to prove that no one can silence her. Under the sponsorship of a church, the American government moved her to the US. In America, Mary faced new restrictions on her activism. Resilient and determined, she didn’t give up fighting for her mission and advocating for freedom in Iran and suffered for it.

  • Siamak Dehghanpour
    Director
    Let Her Sing
  • Siamak Dehghanpour
    Producer
  • Mary Mohammadi
    Key Cast
    Photographer, videographer
  • Babak Alipour
    Director of Photography
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 15 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    December 25, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    30,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English, Persian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - American University
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • American University Visions Awards
    Washington
    United States
    Best Graduate Thesis Documentary 2025
  • South Film and Arts Academy Festival

    Chile
    Best Documentary
  • Rome International Movie Awards
    Rome
    Italy
    Best Documentary Feature 2025
  • Cannes World Film Festival
    Cannes
    France
    Best Documentary Feature 2025
  • Madrid International Movie Awards
    Madrid
    Spain
    Best Documentary Feature 2025
  • New York Movie Awards
    New York
    United States
    Best Documentary Feature 2025
  • Maryland International Film Festival
    Maryland
    United States
    Best Documentary Feature 2025
  • Swedish International Film Festival
    Stockholm
    Sweden
    Best Documentary Feature 2025
  • The Communicator Awards
    New York
    United States
    Distinctive Awards 2025
Director Biography - Siamak Dehghanpour

Siamak Dehghanpour is an Iranian-American award-winning independent filmmaker and TV journalist. He owned a publishing business in Iran. Siamak studied theater and film directing at Tehran’s University of Art from 1991 to 1999. Siamak made a short 16 mm fiction film and several documentary projects in Iran. After finishing his bachelor's degree, he had to leave the country and couldn’t complete his master's degree in film. After twenty years as an international broadcaster, he returned to film school at American University and obtained an MFA in film and media arts. Since then, he has made several films and written many screenplays. Dehghanpour has won numerous awards for his work. He spent two years following Mary’s journey for this project.

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Director Statement

Revolutionary Cinderella is a 75-minute social documentary in a participatory/performative genre about Mary's challenging life as a young Christian convert and human rights activist.
The film was produced over two years after Mary’s shocking journey. Its tone is set by presenting Mary's struggles and successes in Iran and the US while highlighting the shortcomings of the immigration system. The story addresses faith, freedom, suppression, and sexual violence and shows the heavy price an individual pays to stay independent.