Film Explores Reinventing Love and Family

"I Plant My Hand in the Garden," a new feature film, explores the complexities of building a family and redefining relationships. The movie centers on Hoda, an Iranian refugee, and Boris, a queer Serbian man, who decide to marry in Berlin.

As their wedding approaches, the couple confronts bureaucratic hurdles and inherited family expectations. The film delves into their personal histories and inherited ideas of love and parenthood, prompting them to question their roles.

Co-written and co-directed by Hoda Taheri and Boris Hadžija, who also star in the film, it challenges societal norms. "I Plant My Hand in the Garden" will have its world premiere in the competition at Venice Days, the independent section of the Venice Film Festival, on September 3, 2026.

Taheri and Hadžija stated their new film stems from questions about identity, family, and belonging. By centering a fictional marriage between a queer Serbian man and an Iranian refugee, the film examines institutional roles assigned by marriage, nationality, and gender.

The filmmakers aim to explore what can emerge when stepping outside conventional forms of family and relationships. The production is a German-Serbian-US co-production, with world sales handled by Square Eyes. A trailer for the movie has also been released.