In Farnoosh Samadi’s bold queer love story, BETWEEN DREAMS AND HOPE, trans man Azad navigates the bureaucratic system that would allow him to receive gender-affirming care. The last hurdle is a parental consent form so Azad and his partner Nora travel to a remote village to face his estranged father. The visit quickly grows hostile and following a violent confrontation with his brother, Azad disappears. Left alone in the conservative community, Nora grows more frantic as her attempts to find Azad come up empty and the local authorities are slow to help. Samadi skillfully shifts the tone from character-driven romance to tense thriller as Nora refuses to leave without Azad no matter how dangerous the circumstances become.