Happy Ending
They heal, dance, sing, drink, love, and film their lives in Tehran as an attack on Iran draws near.
Winter 2026. In Tehran, secrecy is the air everyone breathes. Even the making of this daring, honest and critical film had to remain hidden. The authorities arrested members of the team and confiscated their phones, computers, and hard drives – yet the film survived.
Elaheh, a literature student, lost her father three years ago during the protests against Ali Khamenei’s regime. Now she is piecing her life back together, working illegally as a masseuse in a private flat. Whispers of Elaheh’s magical hands spread through Tehran. Men with ties to the government book appointments, some enticed by the prospect of a “happy ending”.
Elaheh never wears a hijab and speaks openly about her hair, but takes only the risks she can measure. She dreams of escaping suffocating Tehran and stealing a kiss from her boyfriend, Soheil, in the heart of Berlin.
Filmed guerrilla-style in private flats, safe spaces and controlled streets, this fearless indie drama reveals a vibrant Tehran rarely seen in Iranian cinema. Sleepless nights pulse in clandestine discos, forbidden Western music pounds, and bodies sway intimately in secret dances.
Edvinas Pukšta
Biography
Atena Mahmoudi has more than 20 years of professional experience across film, television, and theatre. Holding a BA in Theatre Acting, her career began in theatre as an actress, director, and stage manager, before moving into film and television. She has worked extensively as a First Assistant Director and Production Planner on feature films and television productions. As a director, her work spans documentary and narrative filmmaking, and she has also written several screenplays. Her directing credits include “The Road That Never Ends” (2016) and “Synchronize” (2011), which screened at international film festivals.
Filmography
Synchronize (2017, short), Happy Ending (2026)
Award for the best film, grant of 5000€ by
Screenings
