And Granny Would Dance: now online

After a successful festival run, Animate in Derby are pleased to share Maryam Mohajer’s multi award winning animated short, And Granny Would Dance, which is now viewable online.

Based on childhood memories and shared stories, And Granny Would Dance is a tale of love, grief and resilience. Maryam Mohajer said: “Women, specifically Iranian women, have always been a big part of my inspiration; put a group of Iranian women in a room and something happens instantly. It can be magical. Similar to what we experienced through our voice recording session for this film – a group of Iranian women, mostly strangers were put inside the recording studio and within minutes, our worries of whether there would be a connection between these strangers was replaced by the worry of “will these ladies be able to rest their voices at all during breaks?” That day we laughed together, we sang, we danced and we cried together.”

And Granny Would Dance was also featured over on Short of the Week in June 2026. You can also watch this behind-the-scenes video to see how the film was made and the people involved in bringing it to life. Thanks to Farzaneh Yazdandoost for documenting the production.

And Granny Would Dance is a film by Maryam Mohajer, produced by Animate Projects, with the support of the BFI, awarding funds from the National Lottery.

Image credit: And Granny Would Dance, Maryam Mohajer