Circumstance Written and directed by Maryam Keshavarz France, USA, Iran, 2012 Coming out of a recent screening of ‘Circumstance’ (in the presence of Maryam Keshavarz, the writer/director) my friend and I, rather wowed, agreed that while heartache is universal, freedom is a privilege, a didactic take somewhat misrepresentative of the teenage same-sex melodrama not devoid …
Facing Mirrors Directed by Negar Azarbayjani Written by Negar Azarbayjani and Fereshteh Taerpoor Iran, 2011 For time immemorial, Iran has been synonymous for many things – most of them pejorative, none of which has to do with cinema. However, Iran’s cinematic reputation has reached a prestige that was hitherto unprecedented in 2011, with films like …
Inside Out 2011: Our Top Five Most Anticipated Films Circumstance (Dir. Maryam Keshavarz) – Audience award winner at Sundance, this coming-of-age story takes us inside a part of modern Iran hidden from the authorities: a world of underground nightclubs, progressive influences, and sexual experimentation. Renee (Dir. Eric Drath) – In 1976, trans athlete Renee Richards …