Original Title: Jodaeiye Nader az Simin
Directed by: Ashgar Farhadi
Run Time: 123 min
Directed by: Ashgar Farhadi
Run Time: 123 min
A small family drama is a very difficult theme to tackle, it can be beautiful like Biutiful or just another Hallmark channel movies with too much dramatization and easily forgotten.
Simin (Leila Hatami) had enough with Nader (Peyman Moadi) after 14 years of marriage. She asked for a divorce, something Nader will not give since he thinks he is a good husband who treated his wife rightfully. Simin thinks that Nader pays too much attention to his elderly father who suffers from Alzheimer and she wanted to take their daughter Termeh (Sarina Farhadi, the director's daughter) abroad to have a better future. She thinks that Nader is being selfish. Here the story takes no sides since both seems to have a valid argument.
They live separately ever since with Termeh living with her father. As Nader is busy working at the office he hire a help from a woman, Somayeh (Kimia Hosseini) to take care of his father. This lead into another problem which probes deeply into the fabric of modern society in present Iran and lays out each character's motivation.
Here is the story where right and wrong are not clearly divided and everyone just do things what they think best (or right?) for them. Wonderfully crafted and well acted, wherever you come from you can relate to the hopelessness and the uncertainty of the situation. It is emotional without having to rely on popular song or some score to lead the viewer's feeling.
Free of any political messages, it proves that Iranian filmmakers are able to make a neo realistic film without having to be political.
This is the first Iranian film to sweep Golden Bear for Best Film and Silver Bear awards for Best Actor and Actress at this year's Berlin Film Festival.
Simin (Leila Hatami) had enough with Nader (Peyman Moadi) after 14 years of marriage. She asked for a divorce, something Nader will not give since he thinks he is a good husband who treated his wife rightfully. Simin thinks that Nader pays too much attention to his elderly father who suffers from Alzheimer and she wanted to take their daughter Termeh (Sarina Farhadi, the director's daughter) abroad to have a better future. She thinks that Nader is being selfish. Here the story takes no sides since both seems to have a valid argument.
They live separately ever since with Termeh living with her father. As Nader is busy working at the office he hire a help from a woman, Somayeh (Kimia Hosseini) to take care of his father. This lead into another problem which probes deeply into the fabric of modern society in present Iran and lays out each character's motivation.
Here is the story where right and wrong are not clearly divided and everyone just do things what they think best (or right?) for them. Wonderfully crafted and well acted, wherever you come from you can relate to the hopelessness and the uncertainty of the situation. It is emotional without having to rely on popular song or some score to lead the viewer's feeling.
Free of any political messages, it proves that Iranian filmmakers are able to make a neo realistic film without having to be political.
This is the first Iranian film to sweep Golden Bear for Best Film and Silver Bear awards for Best Actor and Actress at this year's Berlin Film Festival.
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