The anonymous filmmaker returns to Tehran from Paris for the Iranian elections of 2013. Sitting on the couch with a few acquaintances, she follows the reports on TV. The group provides the images with ironical and sneering comments, giving the news the critical dimension lacking from the political campaigns. At the same time, the censure from the couch also echoes disappointment and despair about the coming elections, with the violent repression of the demonstrations following the corrupt 2009 elections at the back of their minds.
The absence of the persons, bodies and faces belonging to these voices offers an extra perspective on (self-) censorship. This makes Remote Control not only a multifaceted and sharp-witted film about the complex and challenging political situation in Iran, it also sheds light on the role media play in these situations and our obsession with images in general.
