SAIC Students Win Top Honors at Berlinale

Memories of a Window, a short documentary by School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) graduate students Amin Pakparvar and Mehraneh Salimian, has received international recognition at the Berlin International Film Festival. The film was awarded the Crystal Bear for Best Short Film in the Generation section and received a Special Mention from the International Jury, underscoring the global resonance of the filmmakers’ work and highlighting the achievements of SAIC artists on the international stage. “Receiving the Berlinale Crystal Bear was an incredible honor,” said Salimian. “It affirmed my belief that deeply personal stories can resonate across cultures and find meaningful connection with audiences.”

Dedicated to Shirin Alizadeh, who was killed while filming the 2022–23 Woman, Life, Freedom uprising in Iran, Memories of a Window examines the role of citizen-shot smartphone footage in documenting state violence and challenging official narratives. Drawing from thousands of anonymous clips alongside their own recordings from Tehran, Pakparvar and Salimian foreground the perspective of those filming from behind windows—spaces that hover between safety and exposure. “No matter how far we are from Iran, we carry the responsibility to make the voice of peace and freedom heard,” said Pakparvar.

The juries at Berlinale praised the film’s emotional impact and political urgency. In its statement awarding the Crystal Bear, the Generation Youth Jury wrote: “The short film impresses with its raw brutality and sensitive beauty. In an impressive and very personal way, it left a lasting impression on us. In its effective documentary form, it manages to make hope tangible and provoke thought long after the credits have rolled.” The International Jury likewise recognized the film with a Special Mention, stating: “This short form essay documents the importance of political films and the danger within the filming process for their makers.”