Drei Gesichter

The old, forgotten actress, the established, popular actress and an aspiring actress. Against the cultural landscape of Iran it can be tricky to do this profession as a woman.

Metafiction, docufiction and everything in between. Of course, it's Jafar Panahi, it's expected to find plenty of discourse about movie-making and its difficulties. At one point, the actress is trying to explain to an old villager that the actor he admires cannot come back to Iran anymore and Panahi cannot leave Iran. It's a short line, we get it. The man doesn't, of course, but it wasn't really for him. There's also a healthy dose of criticism against the patriarchy by merely observing these people and letting it all play out. There is no discourse served to the audience, no loud, rousing statements. Some of these men would kill to avenge their skewed idea of honour.

Although I appreciated most of the scenes, it did feel a little too long, although it's really not, and maybe Panahi's metafiction is beginning to wear me out. But I guess he did get a chance to make the movie he was referring to in "This Is Not a Film". At least the core idea from there is the same, even if the story goes to a different place. Girl from a conservative family wants to study, but her family forbids it. She contemplates suicide.

"3 Faces" (2018 release from Iran; 100 min.) brings the story of Behnaz Jafari, a popular Iranian actress (and playing herself in this film). As the movie opens, a teenage girl posts an Instagram addressed to Jafari, where she seemingly hangs herself, distraught at the fact that her family won't let her study at an art school in Tehran. Jafari and a friend (director Panahi, playing himself) decide to searches for the girl... At this point we're 10 min. into the movie but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this is the latest movie from writer-director Jafar Panahi, who in 2010 was banned by the Iranian authorities from making any more movies. Panahi's excellent 2011 movie "This Is Not a Film" was the first to be made during that ban, and "3 Faces" is the 4th. Working on a micro-budget and at great personal risk, Panahi and his crew nevertheless manage to brings us a riveting film about what life in rural Iran is really like., and the cost in terms of the human condition. In other words, this is the perfect opposite of the latest Marvel superhero movie. Given the plot-heavy nature of the movie, I can't say much more.

"3 Faces" premiered at this year's Cannes film festival to universal acclaim, and Panahi won (in absentia, of course) the festival's Best Screenplay award. I'd say the chances of this movie getting an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Movie are pretty good too. I happen to catch this film during a recent family visit in Belgium. The early evening screening where I saw this at in Antwerp, Belgium was not attended well (exactly 5 people, myself included). Regardless, if you are in the mood for a top notch foreign film that was made despite a ban on the director, I'd readily suggest you check this out, be it in the theater (if and when this reaches US theaters), on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.

This is a brilliant film. Beautiful, poignant, unpredictable, quite harsh yet with a few sparks of humour. The actors (mostly playing themselves) and the screenplay are amazing. It does require a lot of attention and analysis, as it covers several social issues (artists' and women's rights mainly) with subtle metaphors and a peculiar visual "language". Some moments were a bit too cryptic for me, probably due to a cultural gap. You have to respect Jafar Pahani for managing to create such a rich and multi-layered visual story under such hard conditions and constraints. I highly recommend "Se rokh".

Jafar Panahi is a legendary Iranian director who has been banned from making films for 20 years. Despite this, he continues to create and express himself as an artist. Watching a new film by Panahi is incredibly gratifying because he is a savvy rebel who laughs in the face of his sentence and produces fascinating cinematic works. Panahi has mastered the art form of filmmaking with startling finesse, and he manipulates and evolves it in unique and exciting ways.

His latest film, "3 Faces", is a tragic story about the strength of women. It suggests that misogyny still exists in Iran. The film is enigmatic and enlightening.

Jafar Panahi really made a masterpiece here, kinda had a nostalgic vibe to taste of cherry due to some frames and also Through the olive tree (Movies By Abbas Kiarostami), which which I personally enjoyed really well. the camera work was really good as well as the script. this movie was all about small details, about tradition, differences and limitation in Iran. after "This is not a movie", which blown me away, I'm speechless again.

Let's all hope for a day of no limitations and closed borders.