A Band of Dreamers and a Judge

The Savadkooh mountains in northern Iran are full of stories about buried treasures. Groups of treasure hunters drill their way through the dangerous slopes, dreaming of finding the supposed riches of their ancestors. As these groups roam the mountains, a local judge and her people, who are supposed to stop the illegal excavations, are always hot on their heels. A documentary filmmaker accidentally joins one of these groups and confronts the authorities with difficult questions. In the process, the boundaries between observer and participant become blurred. At the center is a documentary film that not only shows the everyday life of the treasure hunters, but also reflects the social reality in which economic hardship drives people to make risky decisions. A BAND OF DREAMERS AND A JUDGE was presented at IDFA and Hot Docs. Both festivals are considered key platforms for international documentary film. The work links individual biographies with social tensions and reveals the impact economic constraints can have on moral decisions.