British Council Logo UK Films Database
Project Detail

Life May Be

Synopsis

An epistolary feature film: a cinematic discourse between a British director Mark Cousins (the celebrated film maker and historian) and an Iranian actress and director Mania Akbari (famed for her work with Abbas Kiarostami and in her own right as a director) which extends the concept of "essay film" with startling confrontations in the arenas of cultural issues, gender politics and differing artistic sensibilities.
A unique journey into the minds of two exceptional filmmakers which becomes a love affair on film.
Edinburgh International Film Festival 2014 - World premiere

Details

Year
2014
Type of project
Features
Running time
85 mins
Director
Mania Akbari, Mark Cousins
Producer
Don Boyd
Editor
Paria Kamyab, Timo Langer
Screenwriter
Mania Akbari, Mark Cousins
Director of Photography
Mania Akbari, Mark Cousins
Principal cast
Mania Akbari, Mark Cousins

Genre

Woman Director

Categories

Documentary

Production Status

Complete

Production Company

UK, Iran coproduction

Hibrow Productions

Sales Company

Hibrow Productions

Page updates

This page was last updated on 12th May 2025. Please let us know if we need to make any amendments or request edit access by clicking below.

Suggest amendments

See also

You may also be interested in other relevant projects in the database.

Mr. Nobody Against Putin Mr. Nobody Against Putin

Director: David Borenstein (director), Pavel Talankin (co-director)

Year: 2025

A Russian teacher secretly documents his small town school's transformation into a war recruitment center during the Ukraine invasion, revealing the ethical dilemmas educators face amid propaganda and militarization. Official Selection Sundance Film Festival 2025 - World premiere Official Selection CPH DOX 2025 Official Selection Sheffield DocFest 2025 BAFTA Awards 2026 - Winner - Best Documentary Academy Awards 2026 - Winner - Best Documentary Feature

History Human Rights War
A Few Moments of Happiness (Quelques instants de bonheur) A Few Moments of Happiness (Quelques instants de bonheur)

Director: Shaden Safieddine Tazi

Year: 2026

A young Lebanese filmmaker in Paris watches Lebanon's war unfold on her phone from bed. In a state of paralysis, barely able to get out of bed, she calls her father everyday and begins recording her digital life. Using screen recordings, family voices, and silences, the film intimately portrays a generation witnessing their homeland's destruction remotely. Official Selection Venice International Film Festival 2026 - World premiere

Test Track (Tesztpálya) Test Track (Tesztpálya)

Director: Lydia Cornett

Year: 2026

At dawn in Western Hungary, 14-year-old Hunor and his family use greyhounds to clear wildlife from ZalaZONE, a cutting-edge autonomous vehicle test track. Their traditional methods serve an increasingly militarized future. Official Selection Venice International Film Festival 2026 - World premiere