Screen/Society--Middle East Film Series: Iranian Cinema--"A Separation"

Film Screening: "A Separation" (Asghar Farhadi, 2011, 123 min, Iran, Persian with English subtitles, color, 35mm) -- A married couple are faced with a difficult decision - to improve the life of their child by moving to another country, or to stay in Iran and look after a deteriorating parent who has Alzheimer's disease. Set in contemporary Iran, "A Separation" is a compelling drama about the dissolution of a marriage. The wife, Simin (Leila Hatami), wants to leave the country with the couple's 11-year-old daughter. The husband, Nader (Peyman Moadi), does not wish to leave the country and will not grant her the divorce or permission she needs. Nor will the judge, who considers their case to be petty. The film develops into a complex moral dilemma that pitches religion against economics, one that brilliantly, and with creeping tension, encapsulates the tussles and fissures in Iranian society. -- Winner of numerous awards, including Best Foreign Language Film at the 2012 Academy Awards and Golden Globe Awards, and the Golden Bear (Best Film) at the 2011 Berlin International Film Festival!