Scorsese-backed 'Trees Are Watching' premieres at Toronto
A Kurdish legend about people returning as trees has reached the festival screen with heavyweight backing.
'Trees Are Watching', directed by Bahman Ghobadi and executive produced — a supporting credit without day-to-day control of the shoot — by Martin Scorsese, premiered in the Centerpiece strand at the Toronto International Film Festival, according to Variety. Green plays Darya.
Darya is a novelist. She returns with her deaf daughter to her hometown of Mardin, according to Deadline. Her daughter Connie, who is Deaf and nonverbal, is played by Neva Kuş, according to Variety.
The story draws on a Kurdish legend in which people are reborn as trees, according to Variety. It is described as a psychological horror film, a label for a scare built on dread and disturbed perception rather than blood alone, according to Deadline. The festival's own listing calls the mix psychological horror and ecological allegory, a story where nature carries the meaning, according to TIFF.
Viewers unfamiliar with the legend will still recognise the set-up. A mother and child arrive in a place full of memory. The past does not stay quiet.
Behind the camera, the cinematographers are Saba Mazloum and Touraj Aslani, according to Variety. Scorsese joined the project ahead of its Toronto premiere, according to Deadline. The festival gives the film a dedicated official page.
Coverage has followed quickly. Variety published a review on 19 September 2026, and the horror specialist Bloody Disgusting also published a review.
What makes this stand out on a crowded festival slate is the combination. A veteran of Kurdish cinema directs. An international star leads in a largely local legend. And a famous American producer adds visibility before a single ticket goes on sale outside Toronto.
