Screen/Society -- Iranian Essay, Experimental, and Documentary Films

Iranian Essay, Experimental, and Documentary Films
- Curated and Introduced by Yasaman Baghban

FILMFARSI
(Ehsan Khoshbakht, 2019, 84 min, Iran, Farsi with English Subtitles, DCP)

Sex, drugs, rock 'n roll ― Iranian style! A personal journey through the history of Iranian popular cinema before the revolution and the world of "filmfarsi," a term referring to the rowdy and melodramatic genre films made from the early 1950s to 1979. FILMFARSI provides a fascinating archaeology of what The Guardian calls "the biggest secret in cinema history" ― a compelling window into a lost past. This documentary uncovers a cinema of titillation, action, and big emotions that presented a troubling mirror for Iran as it struggled to reconcile religious traditions with the turbulence of modernity and influences of the West. Four years in the making, FILMFARSI features clips from more than 100 films, almost all banned in their country of production.

- Screening with short films:

SUBTOTALS
(Mohammadreza Farzad, 2022, 16 min, Iran, Farsi with English Subtitles, Digital)

Inspired by two stories by Gregory Burnham and Edward Lowe, this poetic and experimental essay film is a new look at the ill-fated relationship and human book with life and numbers.

THE CHARCOAL ALLEY
(Niyaz Saghari, 1998, 6 min, Iran, Persian with English Subtitles, Digital)

A 1998 Persian language experimental documentary directed by Niyaz Saghari.