Headless Trees selected for final 2024 round of New Dawn

Headless Trees by Sara Rajaei is selected in New Dawn's final round of 2024.

The committee found Rajaei’s project presents both an acute aesthetic and a strong political voice, while stating: ‘The filmmaker also presented a wonderfully crafted script, combining a personal family story with folk tales and politics.’

Sara: ‘The New Dawn grant is an important milestone towards the realisation of my first feature film, Headless Trees, and I'm honoured that the film finds recognition from their worldwide experts.

Inspired by the women of my family and through a magical realistic lens, Headless Trees unfolds the forgotten and untold stories, dreams, and daily dynamics of women who live through sociopolitical conflict and war.’

Director: Sara Rajaei
Producer: SeriousFilm
Coproducer: Near/By Films
Country: NL
Granted support: € 150.000,-
Logline: When Raana passes away, her daughter Roya narrates her mother's history like a set of nesting dolls, each memory leading to the next. As the events unfold to transport us backward in time, key moments of Iranian contemporary history shape the story of this family of women.

New Dawn was launched in 2022, aiming to support more diversity in the international film industry. With the introduction of New Dawn, the public funds behind this initiative want to explore more ways to establish variety and representation. They support the view that a vibrant, open and inclusive film industry with true diversity of perspectives and filmic expressions has relevance for everyone.

Previously selected New Dawn projects include My Favourite Cake by Behtash Sanaeeha and Maryam Moghaddam, Julie Keeps Quiet by Leonardo van Dijl and winner of the New Voice Award 2023 (Un Certain Regard, Cannes Film Festival) Augure by Baloji.

New Dawn is supported by the following film institutes and funds: Communauté Française de Belgique- Centre du Cinéma et de l’Audiovisuel; Flanders Audiovisual Fund; Film Fund Luxembourg; Finnish Film Foundation; Norwegian Film Institute; Swedish Film Institute; Screen Ireland; Telefilm Canada; Instituto Português do Cinema e do Audiovisual and Netherlands Film Fund.