In the frozen forests of Finland, 1944, a wounded soldier flees through snow and silence, chased by shadows of war and of his own past. Decades later, a modern-day director becomes obsessed with telling his story — and one question begins to haunt him: can you change the ending of a life already lived?
Director’s Statement
The Soldier began as a haunting image — a man running, bleeding, through the snow-covered forests of Finland. I didn’t know who he was at first, but I felt his urgency, his silence, and the weight of a story trying to survive.
As an Iranian-Finnish artist with Kurdish roots, I’ve lived between worlds, languages, and histories — some visible, others buried. This film is a meditation on memory, war, and the fragile threads that connect past to present.
“It’s about a man who may or may not have survived, and a filmmaker who must finish the story either way.”
Blending realism with poetic reconstruction, The Soldier is not just a war film. It’s about the act of remembering — through music, through silence, through cinema.
Years of Work
Los Angeles, USA
New York, USA
India
India
Creates and performs in five languages
What’s Next
Second Feature · 2026
During a summer road trip across Finland, Gian — a Kurdish-Finnish taxi driver recovering from a heart attack — travels with Sirvan and young Lempi toward a folk music festival. After finding an injured, mysterious girl in the forest, the journey turns into a surreal reflection on mortality, faith, and human connection.
Third Feature
“Life moves on. Hearts, sometimes, don’t.”
Line 7/9 follows Marco, a middle-aged tram driver in Helsinki whose life is defined by routine, solitude, and memories of his daughter. Fleeting encounters with strangers stir emotions he thought long buried, as he navigates longing, memory, and the possibility of new beginnings.
Bring It To Your Screen
The Soldier is available for private viewing, and Gian is open to festival, distribution, and press inquiries for both upcoming features.