The Iranian filmmaker Yaser Talebi brings human stories to the screen with care and empathy, lending a poetic framing to the lives of ordinary people. This sensibility shapes his documentary I Won’t Remain Alone. Set in northern Iran, the film tells the story of an elderly couple in a small village whose son has been pronounced brain dead after a tragic accident. When doctors approach them about authorising his organs to be donated, they’re left with an agonising decision: to let their son go so that someone else’s life might continue. Talebi stays close to the couple as they weigh the choice, capturing the grief that envelops their lives and the powerful consequences of their ultimate decision.

For more from Talebi, watch Sarnevesht (Daughter), which follows an 18-year-old girl in rural Iran as she struggles to balance education and family.

Director: Yaser Talebi

Producers: Yaser Talebi, Fariba Arab