'Seeking for Story' does not claim to tell the story of an archive. Belonging to Ali Mirdrekvandi, a peasant labourer from Lorestan who taught himself English during the Allied Occupation of Iran in WW2, the archive contains his unpublished epic 'Irradiant' and his correspondences with John Hemming, a British lieutenant and schoolteacher whom Ali unexpectedly befriended. Now in the Bodleian Libraries, the archive promises both a curse and a gift. Those who try to master it only find failure. The film seeks to transform this history into mystery. Through an encounter with a scholar and a dancer, the subject becomes embodied. What results is an attempt to show a fantasy – of leaving language and embarking on a sacred journey – through the figure of Luti, an imaginary of the Other.

Writer, Director, Editor: Ashkan Sepahvand
Soundtrack: Stravsky & Pelè
Performances: Cecilia Macfarlane, Mariam Motamedi Fraser
Cinematography: Lou Macnamara
Guest Performer and Set Assistant: Virgil B/G Taylor
Additional Editing: Harri Davies
Audio Post-Production: Andreas Reihse
Colour: Anna Barsukova

Co-produced by The Cultural Programme

© 2024, Ashkan Sepahvand

https://research.gold.ac.uk/id/eprint/34852