A glimpse into Iran between two revolutions, Mohammad Reza Aslani’s long-lost first feature manages to meld Vermeer-like drawing-room drama with gothic horror.
Continue readingChess of the Wind (1976)
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Ballad of a White Cow (2021)
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Reminiscent of an early Asghar Farhadi film, this tense and elegant drama by partners Behtash Sanaeeha and Maryam Moghadam explores the complexities of sacrifice and atonement in contemporary Iran.
Continue readingSun Children (Khorshid) (2020)
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This Oscar-nominated drama from Iranian director Majid Majidi begins as a heartfelt tale of plucky street urchins but soon reveals a deeper story of the grim realities for those who are most vulnerable.
Continue readingJust 6.5 (Metri Shesh Va Nim) (2019)
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From the first moments of this high-speed Iranian cop thriller, you think you know what it’s about. Drug dealers are bad, cops are a bit rough around the edges but basically good. They’ll struggle and the problem isn’t solvable but they’ll get their man. Saeed Roustayi second feature is much more than it says on the tin.
Continue readingSunless Shadows (2019)
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Following on from Starless Dreams (2016), Mehrdad Oskouei returns to the same Iranian juvenile detention centre to interview young woman convicted of killing their fathers, along with their mothers and sisters, some who are on death row.
Continue readingNo Hard Feelings (Wir) (2020)
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It’s good to start a film festival on a high and this sweet, sexy, lyrical and hopeful first feature by Faraz Shariat hit just the right note.
Continue readingThree Faces (2018)
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Image via miff.com.au
Jafar Panahi is not one of my favourite Iranian directors. His self-conscious self-referential technique of centring his films around his persona as a director has always kept me at a distance from his films, although I understand the relevance given his 20-year travel and directing ban. Three Faces follows this same style but, for the first time, I felt he kept himself to the margins of the story and let the real star, Behnaz Jafari, shine. Continue reading
Dressage (2018)
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Image via miff.com.au
Director Pooya Badkoobeh’s first feature is an absorbing coming-of-age story about a complacent teenager who, like a fine dressage horse, has been protected from the realities of life. Continue reading
Pig (2018)
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Image via miff.com.au
There seems to be a thing where Iranian directors make films about Iranian directors. Jafar Panahi likes to do it with his documentary-like musings starring himself, such as Tehran Taxi. Mani Haghighi takes a shot at it with Pig although his tongue is firmly lodged in his cheek. Continue reading
Israfil (2017)
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Image via iran.britishcouncil.org
The second feature from Iranian director Ida Panahandeh, Israfil is a quiet exploration of the repercussions of the cultural oppression dealt with much more histrionically in Leila. Unlike Leila, where the thoughts of the protagonists were spelt out to us, Panahandeh lets us watch and feel and imagine. Continue reading
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