In my home country of Iran, social justice films never receive the required governmental production permits or–if they’re made–they never see the light of the silver screen. Those films eventually end up on social media platforms illegally with no financial benefits for the producer and the director. That’s what happened to the Leila’s Brothers and this movie, Beyond the Wall. Like other movies made by Vahid Jalilvand, the film begins by portraying the suffering of lower-class families living in poverty. From the very start, this film grabs you, engages you and doesn’t let you go. The main character of the…
Author: Shirin Jahed
Since I watched Amélie, the brilliant, romantic and poetic French film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet that carried a treasure of classy humor, I have been exploring the world cinema to find other films that could offer the same qualities. It took almost twenty years for me to watch another film as good as Amélie. NETFLIX’s Enola Holms holds an incredible level of delicate imagination and a wise and clever sense of humor. Enola Holmes is about a clever and independent teenage girl that happens to be Sherlock Holms younger sister. Enola has had a very close relationship with her imaginative…
After falling in love with Money Heist, the NETFLIX blockbuster, I called many of my friends in the film industry and film media in Iran and in Europe to find out if they share my passion towards this series. I was not surprised when most of them agreed with me on Money Heist’s uniqueness and beauty. It has been almost over 35 years that I am writing about movies and TV series and only God knows how many TV series I have watched over my lifetime. (I usually watch between 2 to five episodes of TV shows every day) but…
One of the magics of Netflix is making it possible for millions of people to be able to watch the masterpieces made by great international filmmakers of our time. It is also a favor to the international filmmakers that in the traditional way of film distribution, their films in theaters, could only attract a few thousands of audiences at most. Two times Oscar winner, Asghar Farhadi’s Everybody Knows, which is also his latest film has been available on Netflix in the past few months. Like his other films, A separation and The Salesman, he’s focusing on characters and situations they…
NETFLIX is my passports to the world cinema, where ever I travel, I have my iPad and my NETFLIX login info. Without that, I am like a Robinson Crusoe, abandoned from the kingdom of entertainment. A friend of mine, a field critic, that travels to most of the international film festivals around the globe, told me that he could access is Netflix in 22 countries. NETFLIX is available in over one hundred and ninety countries around the world. And I feel I’m happy gypsy carrying my movie theater with me in my iPad. What also excites me about NETFLIX ,…
The entire story takes place in less than a day, and in one location, in a middle-aged woman’s house, where she has been living there alone. All her attachments to life are 4 picture frames of the men of her life. One from her husband, a man who once supported Mossadegh (the democratic prime minister of Iran in 1950s that his government was overturned by a CIA coup in 1953), but after many years he goes to Hajj while drinking alcohol privately (forbidden for Moslems). Also there are two picture frames of her sons, one from his son that had…
The Children and Young Adult Festival in Isfahan concluded with its award ceremony. The Golden Butterfly for the Best Feature Film Screenplay went to “Glasses” “Barbaad” won the Best Director Golden Butterfly Award and Mehrdad Majidi, producer of the same film won The Best Feature Film Award. Mohamadreza Hadjigholami won the Best Feature Film Director award for the “Stutter” . Children Jury of the festival announced “Pastaryoni” directed by Soheil Movafagh and produced by Bita Mansouri as the winner of their award. Accepting this award Bita Mansouri mentioned that: “ This is an honor to receive this prestigious award two…
Despite daily anomalies of life in Tehran metropolis, every night there about two hundred theater performances around the city. It is unbelievable that most of the old historic homes have been rebuilt into close to standard theater halls… and of course an attractive coffee shop helps to have these theaters packed with audiences and young generation that helps to booming the soul of this art. When I look around I don’t see that many people of my age, even for having a good time what could be better than watching a good play. *** “Yerma, a Concert/Play” Patiently I rush…
Whenever you want something from bottom of your heart, all conditions come together like pieces of a puzzle to stop it from happening. This exactly what happened during the theatrical release of the Subdued and I was not able to see this film. I had been waiting for a few months for the DVD release of the film that started last week. And tonight, I watched it. * The participation of Leila Hatami in any film could be a strong enough reason to watch it. Here in Subdued, her strong presence and her emotional and delicate style of acting aims…
Azar, a new feature drama from Iranian Cinema, carries the name of its main female character. Azar’s husband, Amir (Hamid Azarang) and his cousin, Saber (Houman Seyyedi) are planning to start a fast-food restaurant together and they need Saber’s father financial help. Saber is killed accidentally during an argument with Amir, Azar’s husband ends up in jail. The film suffers from a weak and confusing screenplay. The images in a supposedly feministic concept, deal with a subject that is against the movie promise, has no sign of women’s dignity or values of a woman as a wife. But instead film…