Third Land Documentary Screenings at Ji.hlava Film Festival
The documentary explores the precarious lives of Iranian refugees living in Turkey.
Updated on Oct. 27, 2026 in Documentary
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Director Farzad Khoshdast premieres his film Third Land at the Ji.hlava Documentary Film Festival. The project captures the daily struggles of an Iranian engineer and his family living as refugees in Turkey.
Why it matters
The film aims to document the invisible existence of Iranian refugees who hold international status but lack legal residency. Khoshdast produced the work using his personal savings to ensure the story of Iranian émigrés remains visible.
The production spanned filming locations in Ankara, Alanya, and an industrial town near Istanbul, utilizing three distinct periods of footage for the opening sequence. The director spent approximately two years gaining the trust of his subjects.
The players
Farzad Khoshdast
He is an Iranian émigré and filmmaker who cannot return to his home country due to security risks.
Hamid
He is an Iranian engineer featured in the film who previously worked on missile systems before seeking refuge.
The details
The film focuses on an engineer who previously worked on missile systems in Iran and is now unable to open a bank account in Turkey. During production, the crew faced police detention multiple times while attempting to film the daily life of the family.
Timeline
The director met the film subjects in Turkey around 2022.
The film screens at the Ji.hlava Documentary Film Festival in October 2026.
The film festival concludes on November 1, 2026.
Industry Dynamics
This documentary functions as a case study within the broader global context of the estimated 0.5 million Iranians who have fled the country. It highlights the growing trend of independent filmmakers documenting the personal toll of displacement.
Viewers can access this film through screenings at the Ji.hlava Documentary Film Festival. The festival provides a platform for audiences to engage with international human rights narratives until the event concludes in early November.
The takeaway
Third Land illustrates the extreme personal and legal challenges faced by refugees in transit. Its production serves as a testament to the risks taken by both subjects and filmmakers to bring hidden stories to light.
Further reading
Find more features on independent filmmakers and their works in the Documentary section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Variety.
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