Synopsis
A portrait of Hemela Pourafzal, the exuberant matriarch and owner of Byblos Le Petit Café, a staple Iranian restaurant nested in Montreal for more than 37 years, serving as a central meeting point for the Iranian diaspora and the local art scene. As Hemela reflects on the past eight decades of her adventurous life, we uncover her untold stories and that of Iranian women through the prism of her life.
Festivals
Directed by: Pirouz Nemati
Written by: Pirouz Nemati
DOP: Ariane Lorrain
Editing: Pirouz Nemati
Sound: Ilyaa Ghafouri
Production: Pirouz Nemati
Version
Original: Farsi, French
with English subtitles
Format
16:9 / stereo
H264, ProRes, DCP
Born in Iran in 1987, Pirouz Nemati is an independent filmmaker, artist and actor currently based in Montreal. He studied photography, film, and media arts at Emily Carr University and holds a BFA in film production from Concordia University. Nemati’s films, video and photography work has been showcased in Iran, Canada and the U.S. Most recently he served as an executive producer, co-screenwriter, and actor in Matthew Rankin’s award winning film Universal Language, 2024.
