This Iranian Documentary Wasn’t Meant to Begin This Way
In Mani Haghighi’s new film, an artist’s extensive archive draws the ire of the authorities.
I Deserve a Lover Whose Every Rise Sets Fiery Dooms Raging Across the Skies (2026) is a documentary directed by Mani Haghighi. The film begins with archivists in a beautifully decorated room suit up in protective gear to sift through various artifacts, including photo albums and broken pottery. However, as the director's narration reveals, "This film wasn’t meant to begin this way."
This was due to authorities seizing the footage Haghighi had shot for the opening scene, which depicted a girl searching for a phone signal on a foggy mountain road. The reason for the confiscation was the woman's lack of a headscarf, as they had raided the film crew's hotel room in Tabriz.
I Deserve a Lover Whose Every Rise Sets Fiery Dooms Raging Across the Skies serves as a documentation of documentation. It showcases the discovery, preservation, and remembrance of cultural history. The focus of the film is on Iranian artist Nasser Bakhshi and his wife, Roghayeh Najdi, and their extensive archive that spans from the pre-Islamic era to the Iranian Revolution and beyond.
This archive is meticulously arranged in their home, and both Bakhshi and Najdi are depicted as charming, eccentrically stylish, and deeply in love. The filmmaker interviews Persian rug dealers about the couple's excessive shopping habits. Haghighi humorously questions whether Bakhshi is a hoarder, to which the artist responds, "I collect consciously, methodically, and logically... I'm aware of my instinct."
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