The lyrical Remembering the Pentagons depicts filmmaker Azadeh Navai’s earliest memories. Places, smells and emotions are unearthed and the overwhelming world of her youth delineated using sensitive 16mm and pinhole footage. Her personal thoughts meet the words of classic Persian poet Hafez.

Remembering the Pentagons

To Rizoo, 8—who’s recently moved back to Tehran from California—the world is a magical place. But when she must take a class portrait, her world suddenly becomes very complicated. Does she wear the traditional head-scarf, which all girls over the age of 9 must wear—or not? Seemingly everyone has an opinion. We witness Rizoo navigate the challenges of growing up a California girl in modern Iran. She may be small in size, but her spirit is big enough to change the world.