cinematography
Ali Ehsani
editing
Amir Azizi
music
Delaram Kamareh

sound
Omid Karim
production design
Sarah Gerami
costumes
Sarah Gerami

cast
Amirhossein Hosseini (Amir)
Nader Pourmahin (Nader)
Nariman Farrokhi (Nariman)
Hadis Nazari (Tara)
Pirouz Nemati (Pirouz)
Sohrab Mahdavi (Uncle)
Delaram Kamareh
(The Singer Girl)
Sajjad Hamidian (Cyclist)

production
Fog Films
producers
Amir Azizi
Elham Azizi
Ali Azizi

Inside Amir follows a young man in Tehran on the verge of emigrating. Amid scattered memories, unfinished conversations, and slow-moving days, he faces a decision he hasn’t fully made yet: to leave or to stay. The only thing he refuses to part with is his bicycle – a companion through the city’s streets and a symbol of his past. As his departure to join Tara, his girlfriend now in Italy, grows closer, we learn how years ago, their relationship kept him from joining a family trip that ended in tragedy. Tara became more than a partner – she came to represent the life he was spared.

2025 Daroon-e Amir
2022 Home (doc)
2020 Two Dogs
2018 Wolf (doc)
2016 Nature and Cities of Iran (doc)
2015 Temporary
2010 Family Portrait (short)
2009 Two Cold Meals for One Person (short)
2007 The Idiot (short)

“The film swings between past and present – friendships, late-night anxiety, and a city Amir is still tied to. Inside Amir is a quiet meditation on the emotional distance between staying and leaving – not about what’s right or wrong, but what remains unresolved. Inside Amir is rooted in personal experience, but it aims to speak in a universal cinematic language. It portrays a young man drifting through a city filled with memories, loneliness, and silent transformations. I’m drawn to the poetry of ordinary life – to the subtle rhythms of streets, bodies in motion, and moments that seem quiet but are emotionally charged. Rather than focusing on plot or dialogue, this film explores presence, space, and human vulnerability. I wanted to observe reality without any judgments or spectacle – just a patient gaze that trusts the audience’s sensitivity. My approach avoids slogans or dramatic noises, seeking instead a deeper emotional clarity. Inside Amir is not a statement about migration, identity, or politics – it is a human story about someone trying to stay afloat. I believe that if a film is honest, even in stillness, it can deeply connect with audiences.” (Amir Azizi)

Amir Azizi (Ahvaz, Iran, 1984) began his career in film in 2003. He worked as director’s assistant with renowned Iranian filmmakers including Kianoush Ayari and Rakhshan Banietemad. He directed several short films, such as The Idiot (2007), Two Cold Meals for One Person (2009), and Family Portrait (2009), which all screened at national and international festivals. His documentaries Wolf (2012), Nature and Cities of Iran (2013), and Home (2022) focus on local and environmental themes and received critical acclaim. His first feature, Temporary (2014), was screened at the Beijing International Film Festival and Med Film Festival in Rome, winning a Special Jury Prize. His second feature, Two Dogs (2020), competed at Warsaw and won awards at Bangalore and other festivals.