Make movies not war.
IRAN: A CINEMATOGRAPHIC REVOLUTION
98 min., NR
In 2007, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s media adviser said, “We believe that the American cinema system is devoid of all culture and art and is only used as a device.� Let us not react to that only partially true statement by turning a blind eye to the incredible film being issued by Iran. Poetic, humanistic and often deceptively simple: Iranian cinema is truly some of the finest in the world. Though it shares much with French new wave and Italian neorealism, it possesses a distinct filmic language that often incorporates documentary elements into fictional work. Government censorship adds distinct set of challenges. A terrific entry point into Iran’s cinematic history and the cultural context that spawned it is Nader Takmil Homayoun’s insightful documentary,
Iran: A Cinematographic Revolution
.
THE CIRCLE
90 min., NR
Winner of the Golden Lion and FIPRESCI Prize at the 2000 Venice Film Festival, Jafar Panahi’s
The Circle
was hailed internationally but banned in Panahi’s home country of Iran. Circular imagery, camera movement and storyline progression add symbolic depth to Panahi’s feminist exploration of the circumscribed existence of women in patriarchal, post-revolution Iran. Deceptively simple in composition,
The Circle
intertwines several stories of women in difficult situations. But just like Panahi’s 2007 masterpiece,
Offside
, (also banned), powerful political lyricism lurks within.
CHILDREN OF HEAVEN
89 min., PG
Sharing much with Italian cinema, Majid Majidi’s
Children of Heaven
is the perfect film for those who loved
Cinema Paradiso
. Nominated for an Oscar in 1999, it stars one of film’s most talented kids, Amir Farrokh Hashemian, as Ali, a boy who lost his sister’s shoes and must, therefore, share his pair with her each day. Simple, powerful and masterfully told,
Children of Heaven
is a warm-hearted tale that abounds with poetic imagery.
