Filmmaker's Prison Trauma Inspires New Film 'Roya'

Iranian filmmaker Mahnaz Mohammadi presents "Roya," a film deeply rooted in her personal experiences within Tehran's notorious Evin prison. The movie, featured in the Berlinale's Panorama section, stars Melisa Sözen as a teacher facing solitary confinement and pressure to make a televised confession.

Mohammadi herself has endured imprisonment in Iran, drawing parallels to the hellish conditions within Evin's "Second A" section, a place she describes as separate and more severe than other facilities. She noted the devastating psychological impact on former inmates, often pushed to confess and leading to a form of political suicide.

Filming "Roya" presented significant challenges, with a substantial portion shot clandestinely within Iran to maintain authenticity. Additional scenes were filmed in Georgia, balancing the need for secrecy with the artistic vision. Mohammadi expressed hesitation in detailing the clandestine methods to protect colleagues still in Iran.

The director found inspiration for the lead role in Turkish actress Melisa Sözen after seeing her performance in "Winter Sleep." Sözen's portrayal of contained rage resonated deeply with Mohammadi's own emotional state during her post-prison isolation.

Depicting solitary confinement involved unique aesthetic choices, with the film's structure mirroring dream logic, emphasizing displacement and silence. Mohammadi explained that this approach was crucial for conveying the subjective experience of memory, fear, and hallucination during isolation, reflecting her own body's response to her prison ordeal.