“ZHEN” follows a woman living amidst a war-torn village where all the men have been called to fight. 

 

“At the center of ZHEN is a woman who writes letters to soldiers,” Hasanpour explained in a text interview, “A letter can carry hope, fear, love, and uncertainty at the same time. It becomes a connection between people who may never see each other again. I wanted to explore the emotional consequences of war without necessarily showing war itself” 

 

Azam is an Iranian-born filmmaker, scholar, and theater artist who previously received her Bachelor's of Film Arts in Scene and Costume Design and her masters in Cinema Study from the University of Tehran. 

 

Currently, Azam is pursuing her PhD in Media and Communication at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, where her research focuses on women’s digital activism.  

 

Azam’s artistic scope frequently highlights the unseen sides to stories, and she often looks to explore memory, emotion, and silence. “There are countless women whose emotional labor, sacrifices, and resilience remain outside those narratives,” she expressed. 

 

Azam hopes audiences connect with the film beyond its Iranian context. “Although the story emerges from a particular cultural and historical experience, emotions such as love, separation, uncertainty, and hope are universal.” 

 

“Working on this film deepened my understanding of how difficult and powerful simplicity can be,” Azam revealed. “For me, ZHEN is not simply a film about war. It is about the people who continue living in its shadow.”