Retouch: a character study about struggle and sudden unexpected freedom
Kaveh Mazaheri, “Retouch” (2017) A stunning character study of a married woman, submissive to her bullying husband, who is unexpectedly given a new lease of life…
Iranian Films
Death of Yazdgerd: a slow film illustrates how the common people are caught between two repressive forces
Bahram Beyzai, “Death of Yazdgerd / Mard Yazdgerd” (1982) Running close to 2 hours with a small cast, a heavy emphasis on dialogue to push its…
Those Who Said No: a slickly made and polished film that is less than honest about the politics of the activists it champions
Nima Sarvestani, “Those Who Said No” (2015) A very polished film, complete with stereotypical mournful droning music in parts, this Iranian / Swedish documentary follows proceedings…
No Date, No Signature: a traffic collision leads to an investigation of class conflict and an unsympathetic bureaucracy in a gritty realist drama
Vahid Jalilvand, “No Date, No Signature” (2017) A chance encounter between two characters who would never have met otherwise becomes an examination of class conflict in…
The Baby: a snapshot of modern Tehran and young people caught between traditional family values and the temptations of city and university life
Ali Asgari, “The Baby / Bacheh” (2014) In the space of 16 minutes, we’re drawn into a gritty world of urban bleakness and desperation that is…
Tehran Taxi / Jafar Panahi’s Taxi: purporting to be a snapshot of life in Tehran but an examination of life and behaviour under a police state
Jafar Panahi, “Tehran Taxi” aka “Jafar Panahi’s Taxi” (2015) Banned by the Iranian government in 2010 from making films, director Jafar Panahi nevertheless managed to make…
German and German-language Films, Middle Eastern Films
Wild Iran: interesting film on a photographer’s journey across Iran
Herbert Ostwald, “Wild Iran” (2011) This documentary follows the Iranian-German wildlife photographer and environmentalist Benny Rebel on a 6-week journey across Iran taking photographs and videos…
A Separation: snapshot of how people survive under grinding pressure in a police state
Asghar Farhadi, “A Separation / Jodái-e Náder az Simin” (2011) A tragic story about how good intentions can start off a snowball that turns into an…
No-one Knows About Persian Cats: showcase of Iranian pop culture and contemporary society
Bahman Ghobadi, “No-one Knows About Persian Cats” (2009) An ingenious film that uses a fiction plot to structure and showcase the Iranian pop music scene and…
Sara in 10 Minutes: portrait of a young orphan girl expresses hope for a better life
Sadaf Foroughi, “Sara in 10 Minutes / Sara Dar Dah Daghighe-h” (2007) This is a charming documentary about a young orphan Sara, living in an orphanage…