Angus McDonald’s Freedom is Beautiful follows the journey of Kurdish refugees, Farhad Bandesh and Mostafa (Moz)Azimitabar, who were finally freed from detention after being imprisoned for almost eight years under Australia’s offshore processing regime.
Each fled persecution in Iran, searching for safety, freedom, and a brighter future, only to be treated callously by the Australian government.
Forming a close friendship while detained, they used music and art as a form of peaceful resistance to promote humanity and tirelessly advocate on behalf of all those who remained held.
McDonald co-produced the film with Mélita Toscan Du Plantier, best known for Masaan (2015) and In The Fade (2017). The project was supported by Amnesty International and executive produced by Craig Foster, who also features.
Freedom is Beautiful will have its world premiere at Sydney Film Festival on June 11 with a consecutive screening on June 18, before embarking on an international festival run.