Fifi Howls from Happiness

Fifi Howls From Happiness is a lyrical documentary that explores the enigma of provocative Iranian artist Bahman Mohassess, dubbed the “Persian Picasso,” whose acclaimed paintings and sculptures dominated pre-revolutionary Iran before he was driven into exile. Irreverent and uncompromising, a gay man in a hostile world, Mohassess had a conflicted relationship with his homeland—revered by elites in the art scene and praised as a national icon, only to be censored later by an oppressive regime, with many of his famous works destroyed. Known for his iconoclastic art as well as his scathing declarations and profound observations about life, Mohasses abandoned the country over 30 years ago for a simple, secluded life in Italy. Determined to give Mohasses the last word on the story of his life, filmmaker Mitra Farahani's track down the legendary artist to craft the perfect final biography.