#IFFIWood, 24 November 2025

The Cast and Crew of ‘Songs of Adam’, ‘Skin of Youth’ and ‘K Poper’ shared compelling insights into the personal, social, and cultural inspirations that shaped their films. The press conference highlighted the depth of storytelling, the challenges of filmmaking, and the powerful voices represented on screen.

“Songs of Adam”: A Magical-Realist Ode to Memory and a Nation in Transition

Co-producer Asama Rasheed shared the profoundly intimate origins of Songs of Adam, a project nurtured over years and rooted in the director’s childhood encounter with loss.

“We worked on the film for more than three years. The film is deeply personal for the director—he conceived the idea at the age of 12, after the death of his grandfather,” he said. He said that Mesopotamia provides a vast and fertile ground for the story, and what unfolds goes far beyond the boy at its center. “The narrative mirrors the societal transformations that Iraq has lived through,” Asana added.

His words reflected the film’s emotional depth—one where timelessness, myth, and national history intertwine.

About the Film

Iraq | 2025 | Arabic | 97’ | Color

Songs of Adam is set in 1946 Mesopotamia and centers on 12-yearold Adam, who, after witnessing his grandfather’s burial, vows never to grow up. Strangely, he remains a child while everyone else ages. His father, fearing a curse, isolates him, and those around him grapple with his timeless presence. As Iraq undergoes political upheavals- from 1950s revolts to contemporary wars-Adam becomes a mystical figure. Through magical realism, the film explores his eternal youth in contrast with a nation in flux, making him a poignant metaphor for memory, loss, and longing for stability amid relentless change.

“Skin of Youth”: An Intimate Portrait of Transgender Identity, Love, and Resilience

Writer and Director Ashleigh Mayfair described Skin of Youth not merely as a film, but as an act of remembrance and affection.

“It is a deeply personal story. I am one of the three siblings, and my younger sibling is a transgender. The film explores her journey—her dignity, her rights, her fears, and her identity. In her story, I believe many in the transgender community will see themselves,” she asserted.

Lead actress Văn Quân Trân spoke candidly about the urgency of visibility.

“There are not many films about the transgender community, and their situation is still difficult. My hope is that society learns to value the existence of transgender people. Every story like this is a step toward recognition,” she flagged.

Their reflections underscored the film’s purpose: to humanize, to illuminate, and to challenge silence.

About the Film

Vietnam, Singapore, Japan | 2025 | Vietnamese | 122’ | Color

Set in 1990s Saigon, the film explores the intense romance between San, a transgender sex worker dreaming of a sex-change surgery, and Nam, an underground cage fighter who fights to support her son. San is determined to live as a woman, while Nam endures brutal fights to earn money for her surgery. Their love faces harsh challenges as they confront violent underground worlds, societal prejudices, and the dark forces, that will cost them their relationship.

“K Poper”: A Heartfelt Multigenerational Story of Dreams and Devotion

Producer Sajjad Nasrollahi Nasab explained that K Poper captures a universal truth—how passions shape identity across generations.

“It is about a generation that becomes devoted to something—music, games, or pop culture,” he said. “The film portrays three generations and the differences among them. It reflects the challenges they face, and we too encountered our own challenges—shooting in heavy snow, working in remote villages—but that added to the authenticity of the story.”

K Poper is ultimately a reminder of how global influences meet the intimate realities of family, tradition, and aspiration.

About the Film

Iran | 2025 | Persian | 84’ | Colour

A teenage girl from Iran has fallen in love with a popular Korean K-pop singer. She wants to go to Seoul to see him perform, as well as take part in a competition. Although she has been accepted into the competition, her mother is seriously against her going.

Watch the trailers here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qSfrgJbrLk20M8GY2MKMxvTpzgyY5Juq/view?usp=drive_link

Watch the full Press Conference here:

About IFFI

Born in 1952, the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) stands tall as South Asia’s oldest and largest celebration of cinema. Jointly hosted by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India and the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG), State Government of Goa, the festival has grown into a global cinematic powerhouse—where restored classics meet bold experiments, and legendary maestros share space with fearless first-timers. What makes IFFI truly sparkle is its electric mix—international competitions, cultural showcases, masterclasses, tributes, and the high-energy WAVES Film Bazaar, where ideas, deals and collaborations take flight. Staged against Goa’s stunning coastal backdrop from November 20–28, the 56th edition promises a dazzling spectrum of languages, genres, innovations, and voices—an immersive celebration of India’s creative brilliance on the world stage.

For more information, Click on:

IFFI Website: https://www.iffigoa.org/

PIB’s IFFI Microsite: https://www.pib.gov.in/iffi/56/

PIB IFFIWood Broadcast Channel:  https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaEiBaML2AU6gnzWOm3F

X Handles: @IFFIGoa, @PIB_India, @PIB_Panaji

* * *

PIB IFFI CAST AND CREW | Nikita Joshi/Swadhin Shaktiprasad/Darshana Rane | IFFI 56 - 066