Misagh Zare is Iman, a newly promoted “investigator” for the Iranian government in the early days of the Women, Life, Freedom rebellion. Iman’s handgun goes missing, and it could only have been taken by one of his family members. His wife Najmeh (Soheila Golestani) proclaims innocence, as do his daughters Rezvan (Mahsa Rostami) and Sana (Setareh Maleki). As the strife in the streets ratchets up, so do Iman’s anger and paranoia. With every passing moment, the women in his life grow more afraid—and yet none of them will confess…
The latest from Mohammad Rasoulof (There Is No Evil; A Man of Integrity) is a gripping metaphorical drama that triumphs on multiple levels: as a mystery, it’s tense and absorbing; as a portrait of family division, it’s moving; and as an act of political protest, it’s urgent and powerful. A subversive to his core, Rasoulof has paid a price for his art: sentenced to eight years in prison plus flogging, he now lives as an exile in Europe.
Special Prize, Cannes 2024; FIPRESCI Prize, Cannes 2024
Misagh Zare, Soheila Golestani, Mahsa Rostami, Setareh Maleki, Niousha Akhshi, Reza Akhlaghi
Iran/France/Germany
2024
In Farsi with English subtitles
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits & Director
Producer
Mohammad Rasoulof, Amin Sadraei, Jean-Christophe Simon, Mani Tilgner, Rozita Hendijanian
Screenwriter
Mohammad Rasoulof
Cinematography
Pooyan Aghababaei
Editor
Andrew Bird
Production Design
Amir Panahifar
Original Music
Karzan Mahmood
Mohammad Rasoulof
Mohammad Rasoulof is an Iranian filmmaker known for his politically charged and socially poignant films. His notable works include Goodbye (2011), which won the directing prize in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section, and There Is No Evil (2020), which received the Golden Bear at the Berlinale.
Filmography: The Twilight (2002); Manuscripts Don’t Burn (2013); A Man of Integrity (2017); There Is No Evil (2020)
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Nomadland
Hamnet director Chloe Zhao picked up one of three Academy Awards (along with Best Picture and Best Actress) in 2021 for this unconventional, compassionate adaptation of Jessica Bruder's nonfiction book, Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century.
True North: Andy Milne in Concert + Film Premiere
Michèle Stephenson's brilliant essay film is an electrifying history of Black Canada. Award-winning jazz pianist Andy Milne, who composed the film's superb score, will perform a solo set live before the movie's West Coast premiere.
The Adventures of Prince Achmed Live Scored by Gordon Grdina & Hamin Honari
A handsome prince with a flying horse befriends a witch, meets Aladdin, and battles demons to win a princess' heart. Celebrate the centenary of the first animated feature film, with a new, improvised score.