Saranghae (Short Film) by Amir Zargara
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Saranghae

A film by Amir Zargara
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Project Title:
Saranghae

Korean: 사랑해

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Fiction | Short Film | 2025 | 5 min
South Korea, Iran, Canada | Korean with English subtitles
Color | 2.35:1 | DCP | 5.1, Stereo
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Synopsis:

When airstrikes shut Iran’s skies and sever communications, a Korean refinery engineer in Busan — already on thin ice with his wife in Tehran — finds his flight canceled and his calls going to voicemail, forcing him to confront the cost of his absences as he struggles to reach his family.

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Links:
IMDB | Letterboxd | EPK | Instagram
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Trailer:
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Poster:
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Stills:
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Cast & Crew:
Cast:
Jin Hyun-kwang … Jae-ho
Stella Kim … Soo-jin (Wife)
Kim Danwoo (Driver)
Lee Yeon-Kyung … Min-ji (Daughter)
Yeo Seo-jin … Joon-Ho (Son)
 
Crew:
Writer, Director: Amir Zargara
Producer: Tanveer Hossain
Director of Photography: Arnab Laha
Composer: Sohyoun Park
Editor: Anahit Baghinyan
Sound Designer, Sound Mixer: YanCheng Zhang
Production Designer: Anastassiya Ponomaryova
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Director Statement
 
I wrote Saranghae to process what was unfolding in my home country while I was safe in Canada — the fear, helplessness, and desperate calls as we tried to reach family, not knowing if they were alive or safe. I wanted to capture that tension through a Korean lens, grounding the story in Busan where we shot, but carrying the universal weight of distance, regret, and a longing to protect those you love when you’re powerless to do so.
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Director’s Biography
 

Amir Zargara is an award-winning Iranian-Canadian writer and director, whose unique perspective is shaped by the cultural mosaic of Iran and Canada. His journey, characterized by the resilience of an immigrant and the challenges of living with a stutter, deeply influences his approach to filmmaking. An alumnus of prestigious programs at Berlinale, TIFF, Busan, Zurich, and Reykjavik, he explores the moral complexities individuals face in his films.

His short film A GOOD DAY WILL COME qualified for the Oscars and received over 70 awards and mentions across more than 100 film festivals worldwide. Amir's screenplays have garnered praise from top industry competitions, including the Academy’s Nicholl Fellowship, The Black List, Austin Film Festival, and Slamdance.

Filmography
Become the Wounded ... Short Film ... 2022
A Good Day Will Come ... Short Film ... 2024
Vital ... Short Film ... 2025
Saranghae ... Short Film ... 2025
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Festivals & Awards
-Busan International Film Festival 2025 **BAFA
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Thanks:
Presented by Busan International Film Festival 
Supported by CHANEL
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Contact:
Email | Hello@Zargara.com
Phone | +1-613-857-1027