Iranian female judokas Leila (Mandi) and her coach Maryam (Amir), travel to the Judo World Championship, intent on bringing home Iran’s first gold medal. Midway through the Judo World Championships, they receive an ultimatum from the Islamic Republic ordering Leila to fake an injury and lose, or she will be branded a traitor of the state. With her own and her family’s freedom at stake, Leila is faced with an impossible choice: comply with the Iranian regime as her coach Maryam implores her to do, or fight on, for the gold.
Tatami is the first feature film to be co-directed by an Iranian and an Israeli filmmaker.

In recent decades the Iranian government has done everything in its power to prevent Iranians and Israelis from meeting each other at international events, without regard to the truth about how people actually feel. Despite this, we found a way. We joined forces two hours away from Tel Aviv and Tehran in Tbilisi, Georgia to tell the story of courageous Iranian athletes who risk their lives for freedom. Israeli and Iranian artists found their artistic brothers and sisters in one another, and found out that we are actually so close, and have so much in common, in sharing our art, aesthetics and cinema.

We believe that art is the voice of sanity cutting through the noise. The story we decided to tell in this film is the story of too many artists and athletes who were forced to give up their dreams, sometimes forced to leave their countries and loved ones because of the conflict between systems and governments. Ultimately we hope we have made a film that will show the world that humanity and partnership always win.

May this artistic and cinematographic collaboration be a tribute to these artists and athletes, and all people who strive to look beyond the frenzy of blind hatred and mutual destruction and despite all the odds, build a future together.