Loosely based on his own experiences as a refugee, Iranian-in-exile Milad Alami stages the story of Iman and his family, who, in the aftermath of a devastating rumour, have been forced to flee Iran for Sweden, where their precarious existence is characterised by icy landscapes, a constant stream of temporary homes and an uncertain asylum application process. To increase the family’s chances of receiving some sort of more permanent residency, the former professional grappler returns to the mat for a Swedish wrestling club. This not only leads to homoerotic tensions with young Thomas – soon Iman also encounters his former colleagues from Iran, with whom he still has scores to settle. With subtle nuances and a clever script, OPPONENT delves deep into the inner and outer adversities of persecution, uprooting and flight.

Born in Rasht/Iran, Milad Alami, a Swedish director, graduated from the National Film School of Denmark in 2011. Since then, he has made short features like VOID and MINI; both of them were nominated for the Danish Film Award in 2015. His first feature, THE CHARMER, premiered at San Sebastian and won festival prizes around the world, including Fedeora Award at San Sebastian, Silver Hugo Prize at Chicago, NDR Film Prize at Lübeck/Germany and Prize for the Best Film at International Film Festival Warsaw/Poland. In 2023, his second feature OPPONENT premiered at the Berlinale.

Filmography (selection): 2014 VOID (short film), 2018 THE CHARMER, 2020 WHEN THE DUST SETTLES, 2023 BULLSHIT (both TV-series), 2023 OPPONENT

Awards (selection): Special Jury Prize (Seattle International Film Festival, USA 2023)