Iranian cinema

The Comic World of Marjane Satrapi

Yearnings for a Lost Homeland

Published 11 years ago, Marjane Satrapi's comic "Persepolis" on her youth in Iran caused a sensation. Millions of people loved the eponymous film based on the comic book. Satrapi has been busy making other films since, and talks to Kathrin Erdmann about homesickness and freedom
Asghar Farhadi's ''Nader und Simin''

Flight from the middle class

Ever since his triumph at the Berlinale Film Festival, Asghar Farhadi has found himself compared to film greats such as Bergman, Antonioni, Cassavetes and Altman. But the main characteristic of Farhadi's films is that they are a seismograph of social crisis in Iran. Amin Farzanefar reports
Interview with Director Petr Lom

The Dictator, My Pen Pal

Critics complain that with Letters to the President, director Petr Lom has made a propaganda film for a dictator. Speaking in an interview with Igal Avidan, Petr Lom highlights the day-to-day absurdities of cooperating with the Iranian regime
Marjane Satrapi's "Persepolis"

Stars and Bombs

Marjane Satrapi's graphic novel "Persepolis", about her childhood in Iran and growing up in Europe, made her world famous. The film version is banned in Iran but now showing in cinemas across the globe. Petra Tabeling reports
Asghar Farhadi's "About Elly"

Who Knows the Truth?

For years, Iranian films have been regarded as a hot tip at the Berlin International Film Festival. This time as well, an Iranian production has managed to convince the Berlinale jury. Asghar Farhadi's gripping social drama "About Elly" was awarded the Silver Bear for best director. By Ariana Mirza
Cinema in Iran

The Calm before the Storm?

It's not that long since Iranian cinema was famous for its innovation, winning international prizes across the board. But now the buzz about the Iranian film industry has died down, both in the West and in the Islamic Republic itself. Amin Farzanefar considers the state of Iranian film past and present
Film Center Opens up New Perspectives

Directors like Kiarostami or Makhmalbaf have long become icons of contemporary Iranian film. But young, unknown Persian directors are often overlooked. A private film foundation attempts to gain more attention for these directors.
Rakhshan Bani-Etemad

Filming the Margins of Iranian Society

Rakhshan Bani-Etemad is one of Iran's most prominent – and provocative – filmmakers. She has just finished directing "Mainline", a film about a young Iranian drug addict. Robert Richter reviews Rakhshan Bani-Etemad's film career
Interview with Tahmineh Milani

Between Censorship and a Smash Hit

Her work has been a constant tightrope walk between tradition and emancipation, between freedom and censorship. The Iranian director Tahmineh Milani talks about women directors, their mission, and cinema
A Critical Phase Has Been Reached

Majid Majidi warns against the assumption that Iranian cinema can automatically be stamped with an international seal of quality. Success should be measured by the quality of each individual film.
Bahman Ghobadi

"Switch off CNN and Al-Jazeera…

… and watch my film instead!" With this provocative statement Bahman Ghobadi aims to draw attention to the situation of the Kurds. Brigitte Neumann on the Kurdish filmmaker's new film
The Ambivalent Worlds of Iranian Cinema

Is there such a thing as an authentic or typically Iranian film? The perception is often very different in the West than in Iran. Amin Farzanefar explores the different resonance of Persian cinema in Europe and in Iran.