San Sebastian-Bound 'Lovers Sleep Alone' Explores Queer Exile in Berlin
Massih Parsaei's debut feature 'Lovers Sleep Alone' will premiere at the San Sebastian Film Festival in the New Directors section. The Berlin-set drama follows Iman, a queer Iranian man in exile, who works as a caregiver and drifts through the city while dealing with isolation. The film draws on Parsaei's own experiences of leaving and displacement.
The film marks the feature debut of both director Massih Parsaei and lead actor Pooyesh Frozandeh. It was produced by Film Five GmbH in co-production with the Konrad Wolf Film University of Babelsberg, with funding from Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg and Rundfunk Berlin Brandenburg through the Leuchtstoff initiative.
The cast also includes Ava Darvishi and Marcel Kohler. The screenplay was co-written by Parsaei and Hanna Thomschke. The film will screen in the New Directors competition at the festival, which runs from September 18-26.
This film could resonate with audiences who have experienced displacement or exile, particularly within queer communities. By portraying a queer Iranian man navigating life in Berlin, it may offer visibility to a rarely depicted experience. The festival placement could help it reach international distributors and viewers, potentially sparking conversations about migration, identity, and belonging in contemporary Europe.