Annette Insdorf on Tatami’s fighting spirit

Tatami is no ordinary sports movie. Co-directed by Israeli and Iranian filmmakers Guy Nattiv and Zar Amir Ebrahimi — and based on a true story — the film follows Leila (Arienne Mandi), an Iranian judo fighter who is put in political danger when her government tells her to fake an injury and withdraw from the world championships rather than face an Israeli rival in the final. Ahead of a special screening on Tuesday, June 10, Reel Pieces’ Annette Insdorf sat down to talk to us about what makes the film so remarkable — the directors’ audacious collaboration, its powerful political resonance in a divided world, how it breathes new life into the modern political thriller and sports drama, and more.

Reel Pieces audiences trust you to point them toward some of the most captivating voices in world cinema, and Tatami is a film that you are particularly excited to bring to 92NY. Why is that?

It’s a superb drama whose tension builds from physical competition to fighting political edicts. While the action is part of a sports tournament — international female judo — the stakes are higher than winning gold. What will Leila and her coach do when Islamic Republic authorities demand that she not compete against an Israeli player?

The film nods to several cinematic lineages — it is part political thriller, part sports drama, perhaps even part noir. What influences do you see at work in Tatami?

While Tatami is a truly original drama, there are moments that reminded me of Raging Bull — perhaps because Scorsese also makes dramatic use of black-and-white.

Tatami is the first ever cinematic collaboration between directors from Iran and Israel. Tell us a little about this collaboration — what do Nattiv and Ebrahimi’s singular perspectives bring out in one another?

While Nattiv is the Israeli-born director of films including Golda starring Helen Mirren, Zar Amir Ebrahimi is a casting director turned actor turned director. She is in exile from Iran, having starred in Holy Spider — for which she won the Best Actress Prize at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. Although they were raised in countries that are officially enemies, the filmmakers created a unified, universal, suspenseful portrait of resistance.

What do you hope Reel Pieces audiences will take with them after seeing this film?

In addition to a heart-pounding movie experience, I hope my audience will experience a renewed appreciation of freedom. The directors’ statement says it best: “We believe that art is the voice of sanity cutting through the noise... We hope we have made a film that will show the world that humanity and partnership always win. May this artistic and cinematographic collaboration be a tribute to ... all people who strive to look beyond the frenzy of blind hatred and mutual destruction and despite all the odds, build a future together.”

See Tatami — followed by a Reel Pieces conversation with Insdorf — on Tue, Jun 10.