I Plant My Hand in the Garden marks the feature directorial debut of co-writers and co-directors Hoda Taheri and Boris Hadžija. The film centers on two protagonists who share the filmmakers’ names: Hoda, an Iranian refugee living in Berlin, and Boris, a queer man from Serbia. The pair are in a relationship, expecting a child, and planning to marry to formalize their family structure.
As the couple approaches their wedding, they confront questions about what their union and family will look like. The narrative explores how institutional frameworks such as marriage, nationality, and gender expectations shape individual roles and identities. According to the film’s synopsis, bureaucratic obstacles, family expectations, and inherited histories complicate their plans, prompting both characters to question the roles they are about to assume.
Taheri and Hadžija star in the film alongside Branka Hadžija, Jahandokht Taheri, and Hadi Khanjanpour. Lithuanian cinematographer Vytautas Katkus handled the camera work, while Hadžija also served as editor. The film blends autobiographical and fictional elements, with the directors casting family members to heighten the tension between personal narrative and invented story.
The project emerges from the filmmakers’ ongoing artistic exploration of how identity, family, and belonging are constructed and contested. Prior to this feature, Taheri and Hadžija collaborated on multiple short films, including a trilogy that premiered at the Locarno Film Festival. Production involved partners across Germany, Serbia, and the United States.
The film is scheduled to premiere in the Venice Days competition section of the Venice Film Festival on Sept. 3, as part of the competition period running Sept. 2-12.
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