14/23
Investigating judge Iman grapples with paranoia amid political unrest in Tehran. When his gun vanishes, he suspects his wife and daughters, imposing draconian measures that strain family ties as societal rules crumble.. Director Mohammad Rasoulof was originally scheduled to take part in the 2023 Cannes Film Festival as a jury member of the Un Certain Regard section . However, he was arrested in July 2022 after criticizing the government's crackdown on protestors in the southwestern city of Abadan in Iran over deadly building collapse. On May 8, 2024, Rasouloff's lawyer announced that he has been sentenced to eight years in prison as well as flogging, a fine and confiscation of his property. On May 12, 2024, Rasouloff announced that he managed to flee Iran and was staying at an undisclosed location in Europe. On May 24, 2024, Rasouloff attended the film's premiere in Cannes and on the red carpet he held up photos of two of the film's actors, Soheila Golestani and Missagh Zareh.. Many of us know about the recent protests in Iran and the tragic death of Mahsa Amini in 2022. The hijab is mandatory in Iran and is enforced by over zealous religious police. Outside of Iran it is hard to understand that something that seems trivial to us is such a big issue.This film works because it takes us inside a family unit that is impacted by these very issues. It appears to use actual protest footage ( suitably obscured) mixed in along with the fictional actors. This gives it a more urgent edge.The husband works as an investigator for the regime. One step away from being a judge. He is under severe pressure to process huge numbers of religious "crimes" without any due process. He is finding out that the price of his promotion is blind obedience.He has two daughters. One at high school and the other at university (college.) One of the daughters has a friend who is shot after being in a crowd near a protest. We are told she was an innocent bystander.The mum of the family is very concerned to protect the family status and reputation which will see them get a bigger apartment to live in. However this won't happen unless all aspects of life are squeaky clean. They can't even tell the daughters what the Dad does because it is a security risk.In one of the first shots of the movie we see bullets being handed over to the Dad along with a pistol. He is being promoted but needs to be able to protect himself.What we are seeing is an actual literal Chekhov's Gun in the story. A concept you can look up :)The pistol disappears from the apartment and the dad must find it or face a possible jail sentence for its loss. This ramps up the tension a few levels and the film then somewhat devolves from then on.The main impact from the film is to personalize the various political pressures on each member of the family. The best art takes us beyond the headlines to show us what is happening and how that looks and feels in real life.The story is a fiction but feels like a documentary in many respects. I saw this film at a festival. There were some scenes that were unwatchable and quite emotional.It is now coming up to the 2 year anniversary of that wave of protests. It wasn't just one person who has died in the protests. Records indicate the number is approaching 500 and the ripple waves of anxiety and stress in families can only be approximated but this film goes a fair way to doing just that.. See the full lineup for the 62nd New York Film Festival this Fall.