At Sidewalk Project, we produce and publish documentary films that explore the intersections of art, culture, and human experience. Each project grows from real stories — from streets, studios, and stages — aiming to capture the unseen layers of everyday life.
Sidewalk is not just a production label — it’s a space for artistic dialogue, for voices and images that connect people across borders.
Hotel Teimori
Hotel Teimori is a documentary by Ramtin Ruzitalab, based on an idea by Elham Dehbozorgi. It follows Mohammad, a former addict who now helps others at a DIC center. Filmed over six years, it’s a quiet, human story about resilience, compassion, and the dignity found in silence.
Beetel Lovers
Beetle Lovers (2016), directed by Ramtin Ruzitalab, is a documentary about Volkswagen Beetle enthusiasts in Shiraz who restore and cherish their cars with deep emotional connection. Beyond nostalgia and mechanics, the film captures themes of love, memory, and the desire to preserve the past. Blending humor and warmth, it portrays how affection can take the shape of metal, oil, and enduring memories.
Havâar
Haawar, directed by Ramtin Ruzitalab and Hamed Porzarin, tells the story of Mohammad Pourkand, a painter from Sarpolzahab who transforms the devastation of an earthquake into art. The documentary explores resilience, creativity, and hope, showing how humans can create meaning and beauty even amid destruction.
Lake of Memories
Water Project is a poetic documentary series by Ramtin Ruzitalab exploring humanity’s deep connection with water as life, memory, and culture. Its first episode, Lake of Memories, focuses on Lake Maharloo in Fars Province — once vibrant, now fading — reflecting on loss, ecological fragility, and the need to remember and protect what sustains us.
Stone Lion
Stone Lion (Shir Sangi), directed by Ramtin Ruzitalab, is part of the documentary series Carpet. Set in Fars, it weaves together poetic storytelling and real interviews to explore the art of carpet weaving through the lives of women. Blending myth and reality, the film reflects on heritage, memory, and the quiet strength of generations who keep tradition alive through their craft.
Four Acts on One Stage
Four Acts on One Stage by Ramtin Ruzitalab is a six-part documentary on the theater of Fars and Shiraz, tracing its history, key figures, and future. Combining research, interviews, and storytelling, it celebrates the region’s rich theatrical heritage.