[[[ LA DOLCE VITA ]]]
A short animation that centers the experience of a displaced character, Hope, who flees their war-torn home city in search of a better life. The film follows their journey of migration and resettlement in an abandoned city that once thrived as an amusement park. In this Coney Island–esque environment, Hope must adapt to unfamiliar surroundings, striving to find purpose while preserving their identity and individuality. The animation ends with Hope confronting a wall—an image that symbolizes a sudden dead end in their journey.
Pouya Afshar: Animator and Director
Neda Moridpour: Producer
News & Awards
2025
Unsettled Realities, Modern and Contemporary Art permanent collection
galleries, Denver Art Museum, Denver, Colorado
2023
ANTiPODE, A Postcard from Tehran Group Exhibition, Seattle, WA
2021
Goya Rural Film Festival, Zaragoza, Spain (Official Selection)
Laurus Film Festival, Belarus (semifinalist)
2020
Buffalo International Film Festival, Racial Justice in View, Buffalo, USA
International Silent Film Festival, Mexico (Official Selection)
Mente Locale – Visioni sul Territorio, Italy (Official Selection)
Burbank International Film Festival, Burbank, CA, USA (Official Selection)
Goa Short Film Festival, Goa, India (Official Selection)
Sciacca Film Festival, Sicily, Italy (Official Selection)
HECare Film Festival, Ontario, Canada (Official Selection)
Rassam International Short Film Festival, Tehran, Iran (Official Selection)
Pune Short Film Festival, Pune, India (Official Selection)
SENSUS Film Festival, St. Petersburg, Russia (Official Selection)
2019
Moscow Shorts – International Short Film Festival, Moscow, Russia (Official Selection)
Mimo Milano Mobile Film Festival, Milan, Italy (Official Selection)
Umana Solidarietà International Film Festival, Official Selection