3 Faces (new film from Jafar Panahi)

[zomgmouse]

Jafar Panahi is still under a ban from making films but has made a new one anyway, the cheeky shit.

Panahi plays himself (which we've come to expect, really), and brings in an Iranian actress to play herself as well - the plot involves a missing girl who has allegedly committed suicide because her parents wouldn't let her go to university to study to become an actress, and sent her video suicide note to Panahi and the actress, so they drive to the girl's village to investigate.

It's fantastically suspenseful and gripping, and an agonising insight into a culture of traditions, and it's moving without being hard-nosed or preachy about it.

Very very recommended.

[rasta-spouse]

Watching his Taxi fim re-kindled my interest in Iranian cinema, so looking forward to seeing this.

Jafar Panahi is still under a ban from making films but has made a new one anyway, the cheeky shit.

How does he get around the ban? One of the films was smuggled out of Iran inside a cake, they said. And Taxi could just be dashcam footage, I guess (obviously it's not, it's so well orchestrated). Does he just shoot stuff and tell the authorities it's home video? From what he's said about being imprisoned and interrogated it seems quite serious.

[zomgmouse]

How does he get around the ban? One of the films was smuggled out of Iran inside a cake, they said. And Taxi could just be dashcam footage, I guess (obviously it's not, it's so well orchestrated). Does he just shoot stuff and tell the authorities it's home video? From what he's said about being imprisoned and interrogated it seems quite serious.

Honestly, not sure. This Is Not a Film was cheekily co-directed and other people were always in charge of the camera (except at the end). Tehran Taxi is "just" dashcam footage so maybe he gets away with that. Haven't seen Closed Curtain so not sure there. 3 Faces though - he's technically the director and everything. But maybe he gets around it by appearing as himself? It takes tremendous gall.