Billed as the first feature film to be co-directed by an Iranian and an Israeli filmmaker, Zar Amir-Ebrahimi and Guy Nattiv’s pulse-pounding sports drama couldn’t arrive at a more politically charged moment.

“Tatami” stars Arienne Mandi as Leila, an Iranian judoka who travels to the World Championships with her coach Maryam (played by Amir-Ebrahimi) with dreams of bringing home Iran’s first gold medal. When Leila’s success puts her on a collision course with an Israeli opponent, Iranian authorities deliver an ultimatum: fake an injury and withdraw, or face being labeled a traitor to her country. As she advances through the tournament, the pressure escalates to direct threats against her family back in Iran.

Filmed during the 2022 freedom protests following activist Mahsa Amini’s murder for disobeying Iran’s mandatory hijab law, the movie made its Venice Film Festival premiere in 2023 where it received the Freedom of Expression Award. It has since collected multiple honors, including Best Actress for Amir-Ebrahimi at the Tokyo Film Festival.

Perhaps most remarkable is the production itself. Amir-Ebrahimi, who fled Iran in 2008 after being targeted by the regime, traveled to Israel for the first time to edit the film, while Nattiv brought his Oscar-winning sensibilities to material directly challenging Iran’s longstanding ban on competing against Israeli athletes.

“I was inspired by a few stories that I read about female athletes, that actually rebelled against the system, against the regime. It took us five minutes to decompress, to de-freeze; we eat the same food, we love the same music, we feel like brothers and sisters, for me she’s family,” Nattiv tells Deadline.

“This revolution is about changing the mentality. And this movie, for me this first-time Israeli-Iranian collaboration, is somehow connected to that revolution, that changing mentality.”

“Tatami” arrives in select theaters nationwide on June 13.