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Samaa

Ehsan Gharib
2024 | 2 min 27 s
2D animation using ink and paint on acetate

Samaa (Farsi) 
In Iranian culture, samaa is the meditative practice of achieving a spiritual awakening through rhythm and movement.

Awards and Festivals

  • Official Selection – Non-Narrative Short Film CompetitionOttawa International Animation Festival, Canada (2024)

  • Dada National Award - Best Short Film of the Competition Les nouveaux alchimistesFestival du nouveau cinéma - FNC, Montreal, Canada (2024)

  • Official Selection – International Competition ProgramSweaty Eyeballs Animation Festival, Baltimore, United States (2024)

  • Official SelectionWhistler Film Festival, Canada (2024)

  • Official Selection – Canadian CompetitionSommets du cinéma d'animation, Montreal, Canada (2025)

A National Film Board of Canada production

A caged bird flutters and flails in a struggle for freedom. But only by surrendering to the transcendent power of music and movement is the bird finally able to soar.

In Samaa, filmmaker Ehsan Gharib invites us into imagined captivity using striking, hand-painted animation and visceral drumming. The bird’s dramatic plight begs the question: Is freedom a state of being, or is it a state of mind?

Promo Clip


Poster

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One-Liner & Two-Liner

Two-liner

A caged bird, yearning to fly, finds release through the transcendent power of music and movement. Revelling in the magic and mechanics of cinema, Ehsan Gharib crafts a striking, hand-painted animated short on the themes of freedom and ecstasy.

 

One-liner     

A caged bird, yearning to fly, finds release through the transcendent power of music and movement.



Excerpt


Contact NFB publicist for broadcast-quality excerpts. 

Images


Title: Samaa_UHD_TC10010307
Photo:
Caption:
URL: https://mediaspace.nfb.ca/wp-content/uploads/Samaa_UHD_TC10010307.jpg
Description: Image from film – Courtesy of the National Film Board of Canada.
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Title: Samaa_UHD_TC10004723
Photo:
Caption:
URL: https://mediaspace.nfb.ca/wp-content/uploads/Samaa_UHD_TC10004723.jpg
Description: Image from film – Courtesy of the National Film Board of Canada.
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Title: Samaa_UHD_TC10013314
Photo:
Caption:
URL: https://mediaspace.nfb.ca/wp-content/uploads/Samaa_UHD_TC10013314.jpg
Description: Image from film – Courtesy of the National Film Board of Canada.
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Title: Samaa_UHD_TC10012623
Photo:
Caption:
URL: https://mediaspace.nfb.ca/wp-content/uploads/Samaa_UHD_TC10012623.jpg
Description: Image from film – Courtesy of the National Film Board of Canada.
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Title: Samaa_UHD_TC10012000
Photo:
Caption:
URL: https://mediaspace.nfb.ca/wp-content/uploads/Samaa_UHD_TC10012000.jpg
Description: Image from film – Courtesy of the National Film Board of Canada.
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Title: Samaa_UHD_TC10011715
Photo:
Caption:
URL: https://mediaspace.nfb.ca/wp-content/uploads/Samaa_UHD_TC10011715.jpg
Description: Image from film – Courtesy of the National Film Board of Canada.
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Contact NFB publicist for high-resolution images for print. 

Team


Ehsan Gharib
Director

Photo
Photo : © Ehsan Gharib



Maral Mohammadian
Producer (NFB)

Photo
Photo : © Maral Mohammadian



Rob McLaughlin
Executive Producer

Photo
Photo : Emily Cooper


Credits

Direction and Animation 
Ehsan Gharib

Percussions
Ziya Tabassian

Editing
Xi Feng

Sound Design
Olivier Calvert

Foley
Lise Wedlock

Foley Recording
Geoffrey Mitchell

Re-Recording
Isabelle Lussier

Online Edit
Luca Di Gioacchino

Technical Direction
Mathieu Tremblay
Eloi Champagne

Titles
Mélanie Bouchard
Mohsen Zarrabi

Technical Coordination
Luc Binette

Production Coordination
Dominique Forget
Barry Ahmad

Line Producer
Laetitia Seguin

Administration
Victoria Angeli

Studio Operations Manager
Camille Fillion

Marketing
Geneviève Bérard

Publicist
Nadine Viau

Thanks
Arash Akhgari
Parissa Mohit

Executive Producer
Robert McLaughlin

Producer
Maral Mohammadian

Samaa

© 2024 National Film Board of Canada


Media Relations

  • Nadine Viau
    NFB Publicist – Montreal
    C.: 514-458-9745
    n.viau@nfb.ca

  • About the NFB

    Founded in 1939, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is a one-of-a-kind producer, co-producer and distributor of distinctive, engaging, relevant and innovative documentary and animated films. As a talent incubator, it is one of the world’s leading creative centres. The NFB has enabled Canadians to tell and hear each other’s stories for over eight decades, and its films are a reliable and accessible educational resource. The NFB is also recognized around the world for its expertise in preservation and conservation, and for its rich and vibrant collection of works, which form a pillar of Canada’s cultural heritage. To date, the NFB has produced more than 14,000 works, 7,000 of which can be streamed free of charge at nfb.ca. The NFB and its productions and co-productions have earned over 7,000 awards, including 11 Oscars and an Honorary Academy Award for overall excellence in cinema.