Experiencing Interruptions?

Wabi Sabi : The Golden Philosophy

In a time when migration is idealized, two brothers choose to stay—for Iran, its people, and their faith. This documentary portrays quiet resilience, humble living, and strength rooted in the land. Through knowledge and commitment, they reveal that true solutions lie within—and staying is not surrender, but a profound form of resistance.

  • Adel Shirazy
    Director
  • Aref Shirazi
    Director
  • Adel Shirazy
    Writer
  • Aref Shirazi
    Writer
  • Adel Shirazy
    Producer
  • Aref Shirazi
    Producer
  • Adel Shirazy
    Key Cast
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    وابی سابی : فلسفه طلایی
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short, Other
  • Genres:
    Philosophical, social, musical
  • Runtime:
    5 minutes 33 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 1, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    2,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Iran
  • Country of Filming:
    Iran
  • Language:
    Persian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Adel Shirazy, Aref Shirazi

Adel Shirazy is an Iranian scientist, author and politician who is one of the pioneers of artificial intelligence training in mineral exploration. He is also a scientific and practical activist of conservation affairs. Adel Shirazy was born in Pasteur Hospital in Tehran on 28 March 1991. After completing his high school and pre-university education from Shohadaye-Enghelab High School in Tehran (2009), he continued to complete his bachelor's degree in mining engineering and completed his master's degree in Birjand University of Technology in 2017. After completing a specialized doctorate course at Shahroud University of Technology in 2017-2019, he completed post-doctorate studies at Amir Kabir University of Technology in 2022 with the publication of numerous articles. He is among the top 2% scientists in his field according to Researchgate. Along with his studies, he practiced Aikido. He is the vice president of AIKIKempo self-defense style in the Iran Judo Federation (IJF). Shirazy writes poetry. He published nine books of poetry in various styles. His book Protection and Guarding became the reference for the recruitment test of Iran Sanjesh Organization. He has also written more than 100 titles in science, sports and arts. He is the manager in STS Publishers and one of the activists in the field of expanding book culture. He has published over 150 scientific papers. Shirazy worked on the foundation of artificial intelligence in mining exploration. He is the chairman of the STS Knowledge based company. In 2024, Shirazy was a candidate of the Islamic Consultative Assembly in the 12th Islamic Consultative Assembly and was on the list of the Javanan-e-enghelabi Tehran and also the coalition of innovators of Islamic Iran. He published material to explain the policies of elitism and youthism. Accepting the responsibility of elites in the Javanan-e-enghelabi Party of Tehran, he is also the spokesperson of this party. In 2008, Shirazy received the country's third place in Aikido, and in 2022, he received the national championship from the Judo Federation, and in addition, he won the title of Iran's sports prodigy in 2014 and 2015 from Aparat. In 2022, he received the title of the country's best doctorate from the Economic Geology Association of Iran.

Dr. Aref Shirazi, PhD & PostDoc in mining engineering, born in 1994-Tehran-Gandhi, is a graduate of Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic). He started his university studies in 2012 at Amirkabir University of Technology; He graduated from BSc (2016), MA (2018) and PhD (2022) courses with honors (1st rank and excellent degree). He was immediately invited to Tehran Polytechnic as a postdoctoral researcher to carry out a mineral exploration project based on Artificial Intelligence (AI). Dr. Aref Shirazi successfully completed the postdoctoral project with an excellent degree (2024) under the supervision of Professor Dr. Ardeshir Hazarkhani. Currently, Aref Shirazi, along with his research team, is engaged in detailed studies of identification of metals .and semi-metals deposits in the mineral exploration laboratory of Knowledge-based STS Holding.

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Director Statement

In a world where leaving is glorified and staying is dismissed, we chose to stay. Wabi-Sabi is not just a film—it’s a way of living. It’s about finding beauty in imperfection, meaning in erosion, and strength in quiet presence. This documentary is built from 15 years of real-life footage, lived and archived by two brothers bound by purpose.

Every frame—raw, shaky, unpolished—is intentional. We embraced the cracks, the silence, the stillness. Through martial arts, community rituals, scientific exploration, and everyday resilience, we tell a story of resistance not through noise, but through being.

This is a film about staying—not as stagnation, but as creation. It’s a silent battle against forgetting, against injustice, against the systems that normalize cruelty. It’s a philosophical and social meditation on power—not for domination, but for protection. From the soil, from the people, from faith—we draw light.

We dedicate this film to those who were told “you can’t.” And to those who, with empty hands and full hearts, continue to build civilization.

— Dr. Adel Shirazy