XYZ Films Nabs Iranian Drama ‘Tatami’ From ‘Golda’ Director Guy Nattiv and Zar Amir Ebrahimi

Etan Vlessing
·2 min read
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Tatami, the groundbreaking Iranian drama co-directed by Oscar winner Guy Nattiv (Golda) and Cannes best actress winner Zar Amir Ebrahimi, has been picked up by XYZ Films for North America, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

Based on real-life stories, the Farsi-language drama sees Arienne Mandi play Leila, an Iranian female judo athlete who travels to a world championship with her coach, played by Ebrahimi. Midway through the competition, they receive an ultimatum from the Islamic Republic ordering Leila to fake an injury and lose, or she will be branded a traitor of the state.

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With her own freedom as well as her family’s at stake, she’s faced with an impossible choice: comply with the Iranian regime as her coach implores her to do, or fight on for the gold.

Tatami is the first feature film to have Iranian and Israeli filmmakers as co-directors. Nattiv directed the 2023 film Golda, which recounts Golda Meir’s response to the 1973 surprise attack on Israel that resulted in the Yom Kippur War, and earlier earned the Oscar for best live-action short for the 2018 film  Skin.

Iranian actress and director Zar Amir Ebrahimi starred in Ali Abbasi’s Oscar contender Holy Spider. Ebrahimi directing Tatami along with Nattiv comes as the Iranian government continues to criminalize contact between Iranians and Israelis.

Nattiv wrote the screenplay for Tatami along with Elham Erfani. Jaime Ray Newman, an actress and filmmaker and Nattiv’s wife, and Ash Goldeh are also in the ensemble cast.

The distribution deal was done by WestEnd Films and Range, which have represented North American sales on the film that bowed in Venice. The rights deal was negotiated by Maya Amsellem for Westend and Jessica Lacy and Oliver Wheeler for Range for the filmmakers, while James Emanuel Shapiro represented XYZ Films.

Tatami is produced by veteran producer Mandy Tagger Brockey (A Late Quartet) and Adi Ezroni (Save Yourselves!), alongside Nattiv and Jaime Ray Newman from New Native Pictures. Other crew include director of photography Todd Martin and editor Yuval Orr (Strangers, Skin).

The film is produced by Keshet Studios and New Native Pictures in association with White Lodge Productions.

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