Experiencing Interruptions?

The Shattered Savings

In the war-torn streets of Gaza, Khaled, a 16-year-old Palestinian boy, watches in horror as Israeli fighter jets bomb a hospital filled with innocent children. The screams of the wounded echo in his mind, their lifeless bodies burning a permanent scar into his soul.

Haunted by grief and fueled by a sense of justice, Khaled smashes his childhood piggy bank—the last remnant of his stolen future. With his meager savings, he approaches Jalal, a shadowy arms dealer, and buys a single grenade. The weight of it in his hands is heavy, but his resolve is heavier.

With trembling fingers but an unwavering heart, he executes his plan—destroying an Israeli military vehicle in an act of defiance. But as the smoke clears, an unsettling realization dawns upon him: the very money he used to buy the grenade has now flowed back into the pockets of an American weapons manufacturer—the same one supplying bombs to annihilate his people.

  • Hassan Alizadehghadikolaei
    Director
  • Hassan Alizadehghadikolaei
    Writer
  • Hassan Alizadehghadikolaei
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Short, Web / New Media
  • Runtime:
    1 minute 36 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 30, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    1,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Iran, Islamic Republic of
  • Country of Filming:
    Iran, Islamic Republic of
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Hassan Alizadehghadikolaei

I started my artistic career in 1995 as an assistant director in the theater group of Shahid Beheshti University. At that time, I was a software engineering student in this university and I was also engaged in artistic activities in addition to my studies. There I learned the basics of dramatic literature such as playwriting and directing. In the same years, I became interested in cinema and studied cinema books and movie reviews. I read Syd field's Basics of Screenwriting and as an exercise I wrote a screenplay called "Date on the Beach".
I completed the full filmmaking training course at the Art Center and the documentary filmmaking training course at the Documentary House. I also participated in a number of educational workshops. In these training sessions, I learned from Farshad Fadayian, Mehrdad Oskoui, Mohammadreza Vatandoost, and Mehdi Zamanpour.
In 2011, I directed my first short film called "The Sound of Water Footsteps". In 2013, I wrote and directed the first feature-length documentary film titled "Original Identity". Of course, this was not a professional film and was merely a filmmaking exercise. In 2018, I made a short experimental documentary called "College of Girls", which was about women's rights. This film was shown in a number of international festivals and was appreciated. The experimental documentary called "Aghajan Cinema Actor" was the first semi-professional feature film that was made in 2021 and was screened at some international festivals.
In addition to these, I have designed and implemented a large number of educational videos, animations, promotional teasers and trailers. I have also been a supervisor in student projects in the field of multimedia, animation and game making.

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