Mother Is a Natural Sinner

Hoda, an Iranian refugee woman, lives in exile in Germany with her boyfriend, Hadi. Due to an unexpected pregnancy, Hoda starts to examine common beliefs regarding gender roles in a relationship and openly challenges the current patriarchal social norms surrounding feminine bodies and motherhood.

Hoda Taheri, born in Iran in 1992, is an Iranian filmmaker based in Berlin. Her first short film, Mother Prays All Day Long, won a special mention at the Locarno Film Festival 2022 and was nominated for the German Short Film Award. Her second short film, As If Mother Cried That Night, premiered at the Locarno Film Festival 2023. Her debut feature film, I’ll Plant My Hands in the Garden, is in development stage at the moment. It is a co-direction project with Boris Hadžija, which has been selected by Locarno residency 2023.

Boris Hadžija is a Serbian filmmaker and musician born in 1990 in Yugoslavia and currently living in Berlin. His most recent works include the film As If Mother Cried That Night (2023 / World Premiere: Locarno Film Festival), as a co-writer and editor, Yugotransport (2023 / World Premiere: International Film Festival Rotterdam), as a writer and director, and Mother Prays All Day Long (2022 / World Premiere: Locarno Film Festival), as a producer. He was nominated for the German Short Film Award. His debut feature film, I’ll Plant My Hands in the Garden, a co-direction project with Hoda Taheri, has been selected by Locarno residency 2023.