Five must-watch films by Iranian filmmaker Dariush Mehrjui

1. The Cow (1969): Written by Gholam-Hossein Saedi, and starring Ezzatolah Entezami as Masht Hassan, it is considered to be the first film of the Iranian New Wave. Made a year after the Iranian government established the Ministry of Arts and Culture to work out the censorship requirements, Gaav (The Cow) was banned by the Shah Pahlavi’s regime, which had also ironically funded the film, for its ‘negative’ portrayal of rural Iran. Set in a small village in Iran, it revolves around Hassan, who cherishes his cow more than anything in the world. While he is away, the cow mysteriously dies, and the villagers protectively try to convince Hassan the cow has wandered off. Grief-stricken, Hassan begins to believe he is his own beloved bovine. Shah Pahlavi ’s regime, which found the film to have a contradictory vision which ran counter to its own vision for modernization, allowed its domestic release only after the inclusion of a disclaimer, which stated that the events portrayed in the film happened long before Shah’s regime. Gaav was smuggled out of Iran and won the critics prize (FIPRESCI) in 1971 Venice Film Festival; it also won a prize at the Berlin Film Festival. The Cow film blends the real (rural Iran’s socioeconomic situations) and the surreal; the sensibilities of Italian neo-realism and those of an absurdist folktale.

2. The Cycle (1975): Written by Dariush Mehrjui himself, Dayereh-ye Mina (The Cycle) — starring Saeed Kangarani, Ezzatollah Entezami, Ali Nassirian and Forouzan — is about a young man who is trying to get money to pay for his ailing father’s medical treatments and gets sucked into life on the margins of society, exploiting other poor and marginalised people for their blood. After years of being banned, the film was released in Iran on April 12, 1978. It was Iran’s submission for Best Foreign Language Film at the 50th Academy Awards, the first year that Iran participated in the award. A harrowing tale of poverty and drug addiction in the slums, it is based on Gholam-Hossein Sa’dei’s short story “Garbage Dump.” Banned due to objections from the Iranian Medical Association, The Cycle was shelved for three years before it was eventually shown at the Shiraz Arts Festival. The left saw the story of the poor selling contaminated blood for injection into new veins as a metaphor for the corruption of Pahlavis. For Mehrjui, however, this was more a candid investigation of a real problem, and it eventually helped inspire the formation of the Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization. The casting of the popular filmfarsi star Forouzan was a controversial decision, but her fine, layered performance proved the versatility of Iranian actors.

3. Hamoun (1989): A psychological drama, which tells the story of a middle-class Iranian — Hamid Hamoun, played by Khosrow Shakibai — and his struggle after his femme fatale wife, Mahshid (Bita Farrahi) demands a divorce from him, Hamoun has gained a cult following in Iran. When Hamoun comes to know that his wife is suing him for divorce, and intends to acquire all their possessions, it sends him on a downward-spiralling midlife crisis that we follow through the rest of the film, as Hamid tries to find a meaning for his existence. In 1997, Iranian critics voted Hamoun to be the greatest Iranian film ever made, supplanting Mehrjui’s Gaav from the top position. In many ways, it has affinities with Mehrjui’s recent film, Ali Santouri (2007); both films focus on the descending circumstances of self-obsessed protagonists, and both extensively feature flashbacks to happier times before the story begins. The film starts off with a surreal, absurdist dream sequences, and many similar sequences follow: they are the most memorable aspects of the film.

4. Leila (1997): The film, starring Leila Hatami, Ali Mosaffa, Jamileh Sheikhi and Mohamad Reza Sharifinia, the film revolves around Leila and Reza, a modern young and affluent Iranian couple, who are content with their recent marriage, and living the life of a dream. When their doctor confirms Leila’s infertility, the couple is convinced they can be equally happy with or without children. Reza’s mother insists that he, as the only son, must have children (“everything goes to the son”), despite Reza’s insistence that he does not want children, and suggests that he get a second wife. He adamantly refuses the idea; his mother champions it. Leila gets caught between the two worlds; elated at spending time with Reza one moment and torn apart by his nagging mother the next. Leila Hatami (of A Separation fame) appears in her first leading role, powerfully conveying the heroine’s quiet devastation. A stunning portrayal of the clash between tradition and modernity, and between manipulation and the power of love. “Without being simplistic, the film suggests that in Iran, contemporary attitudes toward love and marriage and modern psychology are no match for the combined force of social pressure and Islamic tradition when ruthlessly appropriated as weapons of intimidation. Leila is, in a word, devastating,” the review in The New York Times read.

5. The Pear Tree (1998): Written by Dariush Mehrjui and starring Homayoun Ershadi and Golshifteh Farahani in lead roles, this examination of the Iranian bourgeoisie was noted for Mehrjui’s exemplary craftsmanship. It also marked the debut of actress Golshifteh Farahani. Mahmoud (Ershadi), a middle-aged intellectual, is suffering from writer’s block and he is unable to continue the book he is currently working upon. He decides to take a break from his routine life and plans to visit his family’s rural estate that is situated north of Tehran. He also intends to complete his book on this visit. While at the estate, Mahmoud’s attention is brought to the old Pear Tree that is situated behind the estate by the old gardener of the estate (Nematollah Gorji). Seeing the Pear Tree, Mahmoud thinks about his past — his infatuation towards his 14-year-old female cousin known only as M (Farahani), his adolescent dreams, and how that changed over the years. The rest of the film chronicles the thoughts of Mahmoud and his past. In this love poem to youth and memory, personal life is intertwined with tumultuous political events; cinematographer Mahmoud Kalari fills the screen with sensual imagery and gives each stage of the protagonist’s life a distinct, ravishing visual identity.