Passed by Censor

Zakir works in a prison as a censor. His days are spent reading other people’s letters, carefully blacking out everything not meant for the eyes of those serving time. In order to escape the stress of his job, he registers for a creative writing course. One day, however, he is given a tricky assignment – to select a photograph and write a fictional account inspired by the picture. He decides to use a photo he finds enclosed in one of the letters. But Zakir’s interest in the woman depicted shifts beyond the assigned task and becomes a compulsive preoccupation to help her, regardless of whether her cruel fate is real or just a figment of his imagination. A psychological study of a man who succumbs to his obsession, unable to distinguish fantasy from reality. (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)