Iranian Cinema Starter Pack
Today, Iranian citizens face attacks from Israel and the United States. As the press works to manufacture consent for war, it is crucial to understand the lives, history, and culture at risk. Cinema is one key to this understanding.
Iranian cinema thrives in its cutting to profound depths, both on a cultural and human level. Simple plots become jumping boards for philosophical, religious, and emotional exploration. It’s also known for its gorgeous and stunning visuals, reflecting the famed beauty and brilliance of Persian poetry, art and architecture. Iranian film thrives in the interplay of fiction and documentary. At the same time, Iran’s films take on a realistic, slice-of-life quality, often both funny and heart-breaking. It is in this “see-it-to-believe-it” juxtaposition that Iranian cinema thrives.
Iran has a large collection of prominent auteurs. In this collection, Abbas Kiarostami holds the crown for reverence and popularity. Kiorastami often creates metatextual layers over the series of multiple films. Jafar Panahi, Kiarostami’s assistant on his final films, is set to perhaps eclipse his mentor, especially after winning the 2025 Palme d’Or. He continues Kiarostami’s interplay of fiction and documentary, and his films often move in “real time.” Panahi’s filmmaking often takes a more radical, protesting aim. He was arrested and prohibited from making films, still making films illegally nevertheless. Mohsen Makhmalbaf is known for pioneering “poetic realism” and experimenting with linearity to highlight an abstract meaning through the real. Asghar Fahardi is known for intimate family portraits and examining the complex interplay of modernity and tradition.
Below are some film recommendations that serve as a “starter pack” of Iranian cinema.
Children of Heaven (1997, dir. Majid Majidi)
(Read our full review from Eman Ibrahim) – A young boy, Ali, loses his sister Zahra’s shoes. They decide to share the pair of shoes and hide the mistake from their parents. The film follows Ali’s zany and sweet attempts to obtain a new pair of shoes for Zahra. Children of Heaven is popular for a reason — it’s highly technically skilled in its filmmaking and moves with a sweetness that is deeply moving.
The Circle (2000, dir. Jafar Panahi)
Banned in Iran, The Circle explores the misogyny prominent in Iranian society. Taking place over a single day, the lives of seven women intersect in Tehran. The film was shot over the course of three years with non-professionals and sometimes without a permit. The Circle is noteworthy for its sharp social critique and unique structure of vignettes of which the characters fade in and out.
Close-Up (1990, dir. Abbas Kiarostami)
Recreating a crime where a poor man impersonated famed director Mohsen Makhmalbef to a middle-class family in Tehran. He stayed with them for an extended amount of time and promised roles in his next film until they were discovered. What’s unique about Kiarostami’s recreation is he uses the actual impersonator and family and Makhmalbef to create multiple metafilmic layers and examine the ways that filmmaking, “true self,” and social hierarchies affect our lives. Considered one of the greatest films of all time, Close-Up is also noteworthy for breaking through an international market.
A Moment of Innocence (1996, dir. Mohsen Makhmalbaf)
Blending semi-autobiography with documentary, Makhmalbaf attempts to recreate an incident in his youth where he stabbed a police officer while protesting. The film quickly becomes about the difficulty of recreating reality. Makhmalbaf also films an attempt to make amends with the police officer 20 years later. It is best to go into A Moment of Innocence knowing as little as possible.
A Separation (2011, dir. Asghar Farhadi)
Simin decides to separate from her long-term husband Nader to flee Iran with her daughter Termeh. After Nader’s confrontation with new housekeeper Razieh and a subsequent tragedy, the family comes together for a brutal series of court battles. Taking a razor sharp view of Iranian society through the lens of class and gender dynamics, A Separation is noteworthy for its nuance and lack of didacticism.
Taste of Cherry (1997, dir. Abbas Kiarostami)
Badii drives around Tehran hoping to find someone who will bury him after he kills himself. He’ll pay handsomely, of course. A minimalist drama, less flashy and meta than his other masterpieces, Taste of Cherry nevertheless is a superb drama that aims to explore the difficulties and beauties of the human condition in what turns into an expansive and universal sense. Bring the tissues.
The Cow (1969, dir. Dariush Mehrjui)
An astounding pre-Revolution film, The Cow kickstarted the Iranian New Wave of the 1970s. In the film, a villager’s beloved cow dies while he is away in the city. This loss is nearly unbearable. A realistic social drama with poetic elements, this slow-moving, impactful drama explores the tensions of a rural village facing increasing and confusing modernization.
The Color of Paradise (1999, dir. Majid Majidi)
In order to win the dowry of a potential bride, a father plans to disown his blind son Mohammad, plans of which Mohammad is unaware as he enjoys summer with his family. A gorgeous, heartwarming story, The Color of Paradise is particularly noteworthy for its examination of ableism and its luscious soundscapes, as it places itself solidly in Mohammad’s perspective.
Although we are all about films on this website, it takes action to prevent an unjust war for expansion of Western military domination. If you live in the United States, sign a petition urging lawmakers to halt attacks in Iran. Keep abreast of the work of Iranian activists fighting against an authoritarian regime. Speak out against the continuing destructive force of Western imperialism.