Mani Haghighi Premiered Documentary in New York
The New York Film Festival showcased a documentary about two Iranian artists and their archival collections.
Updated on Sept. 30, 2026 in Performance Art
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Director Mani Haghighi debuted his latest documentary at the New York Film Festival. The film chronicles the lives of Tabriz-based artists Nasser Bakshi and Roghayeh Najdi, who curate archives from discarded materials.
Why it matters
The documentary presents the collection of salvaged items as a form of resistance against official historical narratives. It highlights the persistence of artists working within restricted environments to preserve culture.
The film documents the life of Henry Darger, who lived in a Chicago boardinghouse for 40 years. It features an archive of items collected by artists in Tabriz alongside a historical photo album of mug shots.
The players
Mani Haghighi
He is an Iranian film director who has reported on the interference of state censors in his cinematic work.
Nasser Bakshi
He is a Tabriz-based artist who operates the Nasser Bakhshi Museum Archive and collects discarded materials as a protest.
Roghayeh Najdi
She is an artist based in Tabriz who works alongside Nasser Bakshi to archive salvaged items.
New York Film Festival
This is a prominent annual film event held in New York City that presents international and domestic cinema.
The details
Mani Haghighi weaves together the work of Nasser Bakshi, who collects soil samples based on specific GPS coordinates, and Roghayeh Najdi. The film features segments where young Iranians discuss their tattoos and includes records of historical state scrutiny.
Timeline
The book The Lonely City by Olivia Laing was published in 2016.
The documentary premiered at the New York Film Festival on September 30, 2026.
Industry Dynamics
This documentary follows the precedent set by the 2016 publication of The Lonely City by Olivia Laing, which explored the nexus of urban loneliness and outsider archival practices. It signals a growing interest in how global artists use material salvage to challenge standardized history.
The film's debut at the New York Film Festival provides attendees with the first opportunity to view the censored footage and archival work documented by Haghighi. Future availability for the documentary remains dependent on the festival circuit schedule.
The takeaway
The film encourages viewers to consider how daily physical objects can serve as radical historical documentation. It serves as a reminder that the act of preservation is often the most significant challenge to authoritarian control.
Further reading
Learn more about the local scene by browsing our Performance Art section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Art Newspaper.
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