Iran

Two Iranian directors. Two sides of the bustling capital city in two separate short films.  

In this dreamlike yet earthbound film, Rahmat the boatman navigates the increasingly brackish waters of a coastal land, collecting the heartaches and tears of its inhabitants. But he remains powerless against their misguided attempts to appease the gods and make the land green again, whether by offering a bride to the sea or forcibly “treating” the eyes of a painter who sees in different colors. Drawing firsthand on the challenges faced by Iranian artists of today, writer-director Mohammad Rasoulof’s deeply atmospheric and poetical film is a gorgeous allegory of intolerance, brutality and mystified routine that resonates far beyond any one state’s borders.

Combining archival footage with vivid animation, writer-director Ali Samadi Ahadi presents an eye-opening portrait of the recent uprising in Iran following the 2009 election.  Like Persepolis and Waltz with Bashir, the film uses its animated sequences to go where real cameras could not.