Shab, Dakheli, Divar

Despite all the brutal oppression and strict controls, the Iranian film industry never stops-it continues to expand its horizon impressively.

In a country where the totalitarian regime bans nearly every topic one might want to make a film about, Iranian artists still find a way to reveal the truth about life in Iran. They do so artistically and with extremely limited resources. One must also take into account the heavy state surveillance during filming.

Instead of overt political commentary, Iranian filmmakers tell stories from daily life-about ordinary people, in ordinary moments. They create incredible narratives using the camera as an honest, silent observer.

"Beyond the Wall" is one of those rare gems. All hats must be off to its astonishing script, direction, and acting. I must say, it has one of the most creative scripts I've ever seen. The scenes, the balance of dialogue, the flashbacks, and the dreamlike sequences are all harmonized within the film beautifully.

If you count the number of characters, you'll find only five or six, and most of the plot unfolds in a single location. Yet with such limited resources, it tells an extraordinary story.

For the entire two-hour runtime, Beyond the Wall is a masterclass in filmmaking. It makes you feel what a truly great movie is.

What is truly disheartening is the instrumentalization of the film's reception by ideological factions-whether by hypercritical detractors of Navid Mohammadzadeh or regime-affiliated voices-who seek to undermine the film's merit through non-artistic, politically charged narratives. That said, while the narrative arc is undoubtedly masterful in its construction, the film suffers from a degree of directorial immaturity, particularly in the execution of certain scenes and in aspects of the editing, which ultimately diminish the work's full potential.

Moreover, although narrative ambiguity appears to have been employed as a device for layered meaning and interpretive depth, its misapplication at various points weakens the overall coherence of the storytelling and may be perceived as a structural flaw rather than a deliberate aesthetic choice.

The realistic yet striking and thought-provoking performances by Navid Mohammadzadeh and Diana Habibi serve to effectively compensate for the screenplay's structural shortcomings. While the script does not provide detailed backstories or a strong sense of emotional grounding for the characters, the nuanced portrayals by the lead actors successfully fill this gap-allowing an average cinema audience to engage emotionally and intellectually with the narrative.

What is perhaps most commendable is that, emerging from the context of Iran's cinema-marked by its artistic constraints, political pressures, and at times even a conceptual barrenness in protest narratives-the filmmaker, fueled by vision and conviction, has managed to craft one of the most artistically potent forms of dissent.

With the support of daring performances, Shab, Dakheli, Divar ("Beyond the Wall") may not be a flawless cinematic experience, but it stands as a lasting and thought-provoking work within the evolving landscape of Iranian cinema-a cinema still brimming with untapped potential.

"Beyond the Wall" is a film that takes us on a thrilling journey into a world of tension and excitement. The story revolves around a blind man who finds himself in a difficult situation when a fugitive woman intrudes into his apartment. The events unfold and tensions escalate between the characters, adding a touch of suspense and mystery to the film.

The performances of the actors in this film are outstanding, especially in portraying the characters of the blind man and the fugitive woman, which deeply engages the audience with their emotions and challenges. The excellent direction adds depth to the atmosphere of mystery and suspense surrounding the story.

The shocking and amazing ending of the film is what greatly adds to the viewing experience, as it may leave you in tears and leave a lasting impact on your memory after the film ends. Without a doubt, "Beyond the Wall" is worth watching for those looking for an exciting story and an unexpected ending that stays with them long after the film is over.

At the beginning, the film has a strong and uniform structure which, unlike relying on a very limited group of actors, has a broad scope in the story, thus keeping the audience engaged. At the same time, there are issues with the direction of the work stemming from script problems. The film tries to gradually make us understand the reality of what's happening and showcases the separation between the imagination and the reality of the main character of the story, which seems very logical and avoids excessive complexity. Midway through the script, we reach a point where this separation has fully occurred for the audience, and almost the reality of the story, albeit without details, has disappeared. This becomes a problem for the script when, after this event, the director still tries to conceal the reality from the audience, showing a lack of mastery in understanding the story by the public.

Navid Mohammadzadeh's performance is very brilliant, tender, precise, and respectful of details, to the extent that in his particular emotional situation, one even forgets he is myopic. Additionally, the brilliant and impeccable interpretation of the main female role in the film cannot be easily overlooked. The subtleties and details that bring us closer to the reality of the story in the script are amazing, such as the scenes from the surveillance camera, the state of the house floor, and the room window. Despite the brutal nature of the story, watching this film will offer the audience a tender experience. Congratulations to the directing team and the talented cast of this work.

In Vahid Jalilvand's tense and allegorical film, a blind man unexpectedly shelters a fugitive, illustrating the consequences of losing touch with our humanity.

Ali, portrayed by Navid Mohammadzadeh, contemplates suicide until a concierge informs him that a woman evading authorities may be hiding in his building. Unaware, Ali discovers Leila (Diana Habibi), a single mother separated from her son during a workers' protest.

As Leila seeks refuge in Ali's home, both become ensnared in a claustrophobic struggle for survival, revealing the depths of human connection amidst isolation.

Do yourself a favor, don't dig deeper and watch the movie instead.