Vital

Vital explores the world of organ trade. A struggling mother in Iran considering giving up her own organ for her daughter and a doctor in the United States juggling with a moral dilemma in order to save his daughter.

We follow two characters and their parallels set against different social backgrounds. Fereshteh (Mahtab Servati) is a mother with a son and daughter trying to make ends meet. She is searching every avenue to save her daughter and in the process offering up her own organs. Dariush (Reza Akhlaghirad) is a prestigious doctor living in the US trying to figure out how to also save his daughter, with wait lists and organs few and far between, time is of the essence.

Throughout, we see gripping visuals and the realities and hardships faced by each parent of different status. At this point their backgrounds don’t matter, they’re fighting the same fight. Amir Zargara does a great job of presenting us with a wider ethical issue but never defining any character as villainous even through turbulent times. We see just how far they are willing to go for their children and it’s not demonised. This is especially important as it tests the limits of our mindsets towards our loved ones, ones in which we can all resonate with.

Both leads, Servati and Akhlaghirad display their characters’ vulnerabilities and internal battles well. This will strike an emotional chord with any viewer. Set against a dark and dingy background for the most part, we feel every part of their desperation which only opens out into a wider issue. Zargara has stated that Vital came about from his childhood in Iran and not fully grasping what the organ trade meant. Having been between Iran and North America, he saw how the systems varied but still faced the same issue. It explores the fine balance between morality and love, which can cloud the other.

With just a 14-minute run time, it packs in so much raw emotion, from guilt, grief, to the unknowing. That is a testament to the leads and the striking visuals throughout, created by cinematographer Jelani Maxwell. There is a simple but impactful shot of a bulletin board swarmed with flyers about organ trade. People offering up their organs in exchange for money, food, or trying to find donations themselves. This alone really hits home the crisis and hopelessness; this feels like their last and only option. A must-see project to broaden our knowledge of very real and devastating tragedies.

Vital has recently won the Short Film Award at the Humanitas Prize and also named a winner of the Hollyshorts x Stage 32 Short Film contest. It’s no surprise it has also qualified for the 2027 Oscars and Academy Awards.