documentary film in Iran because you ’ re never sure if you ’ ll get permission to shoot . And upon getting permission , you never know if you can return for several shootings , which a film like ‘ Sepideh ’ depends on as it follows the main character through several years thereby also becoming a coming-of-age story ,” Madsen said . “ I was very lucky to work with a very skillful Iranian team and Iranian co-producer . But every time I went shooting , I was told that it might be the last time . So it was definitely a very stressful period , never knowing that I would manage to finish it . But as Sepideh is insisting , so was I .” Throughout the film , Sepideh ’ s persistent spirit is tested but never broken . At one point , we watch as her uncle confronts her about how her observing outings with the astronomy club members — some of whom are male — could be misperceived and the harsh consequences that could follow . With tear-rimmed eyes , the teenage Sepideh responds , “ There ’ s nothing wrong with me looking at the stars . After me there will be 10 more doing what I have done . I ’ m not alone !” Madsen echoes this statement that Sepideh is not alone when she speaks of how she sees the young woman ’ s story as a universal one . “ To me , ‘ Sepideh ’ is a film about hope ,” she said . “ It ’ s telling us that , if we ’ re willing to fight for our dreams , then we might reach further than we ourselves believed . If we dare to seek out all opportunities and put effort into it .” The film follows Sepideh ’ s journey for several years , but her story is still unfolding . Now in her early 20s , she has married , begun studying physics at a university and had a daughter with whom she makes a point to share the sky . She is also actively pursuing
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COURTESY OF Babak Tafreshi
Sepideh Hooshyar sits under a star-studded sky in Saadat Shahr located in the Fars province of Iran .
research opportunities . “ I ’ m collecting information and studying for work on supernovae ,” Sepideh writes during a recent interview . “ I am in the final semester in the field of undergraduate physics . It ’ s a bit hard because I study in absentia , but I enjoy it so much even with all the hardships .” One of the largest obstacles to Sepideh ’ s current astronomy pursuits is the cost of equipment such as telescopes and cameras . She has no capital to put toward her scientific work , but she does have a piece of agricultural land that she hopes will one day produce enough profits to fund
“ Sepideh : Reaching for the Stars ” is available on iTunes .
some research . “ I live like all other women in the world . All women are inspirational ,” Sepideh writes . “ I know that after every night , the sun will rise , and I hope that someone really looks at the sky because of my movie .”
Sky ’ s Up