Nine stories from contemporary Iran, where everyone is at the mercy of government and religious authorities… Different settings and circumstances, with characters varying in age, gender, class and status… But all linked by the ubiquitous impact of patriarchy on everyone, including the unborn. In Alireza Khatami and Ali Asgari’s Terrestrial Verses, we see nine encounters between everyday Iranians interrogated by some manner of authority figure. These static vignettes place the audience in the position of the interviewer, the camera subverting the position of the subject and allowing the spectator to examine (and occupy) a point of view that is both uncomfortable and unjust. The film’s title is a reference to the famous Iranian female poet Forough Farrokhzad, who challenged oppression and patriarchy in her personal life and her poetry. Terrestrial Verses is an audacious and beautiful film, especially in the context of the Women Life-Freedom movement, as it portrays the people and situations of everyday life in Iran with humor and masterful cinematography.
Elegant, eloquent and unwavering in its determination to reveal the plight of the individual Iranians it showcases…
AWFJ (Alliance of Women Film Journalists)
September 29 & October 1: Q&A with co-director Alireza Khatami & crew
Media Partner
Bahram Ark, Arghavan Shabani, Servin Zabetian, Sadaf Asgari, Faezeh Rad
Iran
2023
Focus
In Farsi with English subtitles
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits
Producer
Ali Asgari, Milad Khosravi
Screenwriter
Ali Asgari, Alireza Khatami
Cinematography
Adib Sobhani
Editor
Ehsan Vaseghi
Production Design
Hamed Alsani
Original Music
Masoud Fayaz Zadeh
Directors
Ali Asgari
Ali Asgari is a prominent Iranian cinema figure with more than 200 awards to his name. Two of his short films, More Than Two Hours (2013) and The Silence (2016), were nominated for the Palme d’Or at the Festival de Cannes. The Baby was featured in the short film competition at the Venice Film Festival in 2014. Ali’s films focus on the precarious lives of individuals living on the margins of society in Iran. His debut film, Disappearance had its world premiere at Venice in 2017. Until Tomorrow, his second feature film, premiered at the Berlinale in 2022.
Filmography: Disappearance (2017); Until Tomorrow (2022)
Alireza Khatami
Alireza Khatami is an award-winning Iranian-American filmmaker based in Canada. Born into the indigenous Khamse tribe in Iran, he is influenced by his heritage’s rich storytelling traditions. His films poignantly investigate the interconnection of memory, trauma, and power dynamics, often through a philosophical lens and with a dark sense of humor. His debut feature, Oblivion Verses, premiered at the Venice Film Festival, winning three awards, including the Orizzonti Award for Best Screenplay and the FIPRESCI Prize. Alireza also co-wrote Until Tomorrow, which premiered at the Berlinale Film Festival.
Filmography: Oblivion Verses (2017)
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Honeyjoon
A mother and her 20-something daughter take a holiday together in the Azores to mark the anniversary of the loss of their husband and father -- but maybe the honeymoon package wasn't the best idea...
Another World
This hit anime from Hong Kong gives us an unpredictable, sometimes darkly karmic tale taking place on either side of the afterlife involving a headstrong princess with bad karma and the spirit guide who tries to help her get on a better path.
Everybody to Kenmure Street
This rousing documentary (100% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) never puts a foot wrong as it recreates a tense, prolonged stand-off between the police and the citizens of Glasgow when an Immigration Enforcement squad attempt to arrest two men from their homes.
Thelma & Louise
In this iconic feminist road movie BFF Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon take off for a weekend getaway that turns violent when one of them is attacked. The stakes get higher as they flee the scene. Winner: Best Original Screenplay (Callie Khouri).
Boyz n the Hood
Twenty-three-year-old writer-director John Singleton's groundbreaking portrait of three young men growing up in South Central is a film of integrity and compassion. It's a far richer portrait of Black lives than Hollywood's gangsta exploitation pics.