If you watched the Oscars at the weekend, you might have noticed something
curious. A German film was nominated in the category Best International
Feature, i.e. best film in a language other than English; and yet the film
wasn't in German, not a single word. It was in Farsi, also called Persian, the
language spoken in Iran. Most of the film takes place in Teheran, Iran's
capital. What's the story behind it?
Note: Teheran is the British spelling of Iran's capital. In American
English it's called Tehran.
The film was made in 2024 in Iran by the director Mohammad Rasoulof. It's
about the family of Imam, a lawyer in Teheran. After working for 20 years as a
lawyer, he's promoted to the position of investigating judge in the
Revolutionary Court. This allows him to rent a larger apartment, making it
possible for his two daughters to sleep in separate rooms. Rezvan is a
university student. Sana is a few years younger, but there's no reference to
her being in school.
Despite being unhappy that he's only allowed to pass the sentences
recommended by the government, Imam is faithful to the Iranian regime. His
daughters are rebellious, sympathising with the demonstrations about the
murder of Mahsa Amini (2022) for not covering her head in public. Imam's wife
attempts to keep the peace in the family.
Imam is given a gun to protect himself. He carries it to and from work every
day. One day the gun disappears from his apartment. He suspects that someone
in his family has taken it, but they all suggest that he's lost it. This leads
to an atmosphere of paranoia. Nobody trusts anybody.
Can a film with subject matter like this be made in Iran? Obviously not. The
director went into hiding and was sentenced to eight years in prison in his absence. He managed to
take refuge in a German consulate. From there he was smuggled out of the
country. As far as I know, he now lives in Hamburg, but this might not be his
final destination.
When he travelled to Germany, he smuggled the film's raw footage with him. It
was edited in German studios. This is what's given the film the right to be
called a German film.
It's a very powerful family drama. The political aspects are frequently
discussed, but the family relationships are in the foreground. My only
criticism is that the pacing is too slow, and the film could have been 30
minutes shorter without losing anything.
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