Terrestrial Verses (2023)

A satirical take on the mundane absurdities of life in modern-day Iran, these nine vignettes illuminate the lighter side of enduring under authoritarian rule. Whether choosing a name for a newborn, graduating from grade school, getting a driver’s license, applying for a job, or seeking approval for a film script, if you live in Iran, you best come fluent in Orwellian discourse. Progressing along a rough timeline from birth to death, each story is shot in a static camera angle as a single petitioner negotiates with an authority figure hovering just outside of frame, who is practiced in the language of doublespeak.
Iman Tavakoli, Ali Asgari, Alireza Khatami
Majid Salehi, Gohar Kheyrandish, Farzin Mohades, Sadaf Asgari, Hossein Soleymani, Faezeh Rad, Bahram Ark, Servin Zabetian, Arghavan Shabani, Ardeshir Kazemi, Babak Karimi, Behnaz Jafari, Sara Bahrami, Reza Behboudi, Kiumars Moradi, Paria Yaghoubi, Shaghayegh Faryad Shiran, Tofigh Heidari, Ali Asgari, Alireza Khatami
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