Density of Emptiness (2023) Still 01.
Edith Cowan University (ECU) PhD candidate and award-winning documentary filmmaker, Shirin Barghnavard's film, Density of Emptiness (2023), has been selected for the 2025 Revelation Perth International Film Festival.
Density of Emptiness explores the imbalance of spatial distribution in Tehran, Iran juxtaposing overcrowded shelters for vulnerable women in the city's south with the empty luxury high-rises of the affluent north.
The film is one of six short documentaries in the series A Sense of Place, a joint Iranian-German-French production produced by Afsun Moshiry (Road River Film, Berlin) and Hamid Reza Pejman (Pejman Foundation, Tehran), in collaboration with LA Onda Productions in Paris and with project advisors Wim Wenders and Hella Wenders (Wim Wenders Foundation).
"Through voice-over narration and archival photographs taken a decade ago by an Iranian female photographer, Tahmineh Monzavi, the film critiques the commodification of urban space. It questions the purpose of construction when it serves capital accumulation rather than human need, resulting in towering structures filled with empty units," said Shirin.
"This project was especially meaningful to me, as it offered the rare opportunity to engage with and learn from one of cinema's great masters, Wim Wenders. It was not only a chance to create, but also a valuable learning experience."
Shirin shares that she is truly honoured that Density of Emptiness has been selected for the 28th Revelation International Film Festival, as the Festival's commitment to avant-garde, independent and experimental cinema aligns with her own artistic values.
"The Festival offers a platform that champions bold, socially engaged storytelling over commercial conventions, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to share my work with such a thoughtful and discerning audience," she said.
Award-winning documentary filmmaker
ECU School of Arts and Humanities PhD candidate Shirin Barghnavard. Image credit: Frederique Le Brun.
A PhD candidate in ECU's School of Arts and Humanities, Shirin's doctoral research investigates the politics of representation in the documentary films of Iranian women, both within Iran and across the diaspora.
"Through a creative practice lens, I explore how these filmmakers navigate and challenge notions of familiarity (attachment) and alienation (detachment) in relation to their homeland," said Shirin.
"My research asks whether their work can be disentangled from its socio-political context, given the persistent interconnectedness that shapes how both Iranian and international audiences perceive their films.
"I've always been passionate about real stories that reveal the complexities of human experience, particularly those shaped by social, political, and cultural forces. Growing up in Iran and later working internationally, I witnessed firsthand how politics and conflict shape everyday lives, especially for women.
"Documentary filmmaking became a powerful medium through which I could explore these realities, express my concerns and perspectives, and engage with the world through a creative yet critical lens."
Shirin's films have been screened at major international festivals, including the Copenhagen International Documentary Festival (CPH:DOX) and IDFA, and have received accolades such as the Tim Hetherington Award (Sheffield DocFest) and a Special Jury Award (Seoul Green Film Festival).
Marking 28 years in 2025, the Revelation Perth International Film Festival celebrates cinema and showcases over 200 international films at cinemas and bars across Perth and Fremantle. The Festival runs from Wednesday, 2 July to Sunday, 13 July 2025.
Density of Emptiness is screening on Friday, 4 July 2025 at Luna Palace Cinema, book tickets online.
