Uploaded March 2008 | Updated September 2026, 10 hours ago
Towards the end of 2007, when our fears of a military conflict between the U.S. and Iran were at their peak, Make Films Not War resolved to use images and stories to continue building a cultural bride between our two societies, even as our governments ratcheted up their language of war.
We made contact with award-winning Iranian filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi (HALF MOON, TURTLES CAN FLY, A TIME FOR DRUNKEN HORSES), and discussed how best to go about this. We decided to commission five up-and-coming Iranian filmmakers, two of them as young as 10 and 13, to produce a series of short videos on the themes of war and peace. Ghobadi's company, Tehran based MIJ Productions, co-produced.
About 'Dreamhouse'
Ten-year old filmmaker Ahoora Zamanpira's story is charming in its simplicity. A group of kids are fastidiously building a house out of mud and nearby sticks and scraps of fabric. The meticulous detail they apply to their project is typical of the precocious creativity that is a hallmark of a healthy childhood. A surprising end illuminates how fleeting these moments of creation can be in an unpredictable world.
Towards the end of 2007, when our fears of a military conflict between the U.S. and Iran were at their peak, Make Films Not War resolved to use images and stories to continue building a cultural bride between our two societies, even as our governments ratcheted up their language of war.
We made contact with award-winning Iranian filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi (HALF MOON, TURTLES CAN FLY, A TIME FOR DRUNKEN HORSES), and discussed how best to go about this. We decided to commission five up-and-coming Iranian filmmakers, two of them as young as 10 and 13, to produce a series of short videos on the themes of war and peace. Ghobadi's company, Tehran based MIJ Productions, co-produced.
About 'Dreamhouse'
Ten-year old filmmaker Ahoora Zamanpira's story is charming in its simplicity. A group of kids are fastidiously building a house out of mud and nearby sticks and scraps of fabric. The meticulous detail they apply to their project is typical of the precocious creativity that is a hallmark of a healthy childhood. A surprising end illuminates how fleeting these moments of creation can be in an unpredictable world.
