Norooz, Somewhere Else (2017)

The day on which spring season starts brings nostalgic feelings to Iranians abroad. It is a national festival that dates back to ancient Persia. This two-week long festival, called 'Norooz' (meaning 'New Day') is more than just a New Year celebration. It is also the celebration of new life, rebirth and hope. In Iran, no religious holiday has ever managed to prevail over Norooz in popularity. Norooz celebrations originate from the worshiping traditions of a season in which nature comes to life again and the season of ice, bitter weather and scarcity vanishes. Based on the tradition of putting seven edible objects on the traditional 'Haft-Sin' table during the celebration and their respective symbolic meanings, Iranians honor and celebrate the return of Spring. This documentary shows a depiction of Iranians, their motivation and conduct of keeping their culture alive in the Netherlands. We follow various characters and their arrangements of this traditional and extraordinary festival in the Iranian culture. The focus is on the way Iranians try to hold on to remains of the ancient Persian culture and how celebrating Norooz more or less contributes to the maintenance of their Iranian identity in exile.