Symphony of the City - Samfonie Shahr - سمفونی شهر

Sound is utilised to breathtaking effect in this documentary by Mohammed Afarideh about the trappings of modern day city-life in Tehran. A split-frame is also used to express the city's transformation as it passes through the decades. 'Symphony of the City' begins with grainy black and white footage of camel-drawn carriages and low stone buildings. This cuts to a beautiful sweeping shot of the skyscrapers of modern Tehran. A cacophony of noises flood in, from the incessant beeping of traffic jams to the jarring screech of hydraulic drills. This film effectively questions the intrusive levels of noise that have caused health problems amongst residents on Tehran, critiquing the processes of industrialization and modernization.