The Cinematheque

“Enthralling … Banietemad uses the fractured love triangle as a poetic compass to chart the map of a nation torn between traditional social and gender roles and driven by a raw cupidity for wealth at any cost.”

Harvard Film Archive

Nargess is a gritty, landmark social drama from acclaimed director Rakhshan Banietemad that explores life on the margins of Tehran in the ​’90s. The story follows Adel (Abolfazl Poorarab), a young drifter who makes a living through petty crime alongside Afagh (Farimah Farjami), an older woman with a mysterious and complicated past who passes herself off as his mother to shield their unconventional relationship from society. Their world is upended when Adel falls deeply in love with Nargess (Atefeh Razavi), a pure-hearted girl from a poor but honest family. To win her hand, Adel must maintain a web of lies, forcing a tense and emotional confrontation between his criminal roots, his loyalty to Afagh, and his desperate hope for a new life. Renowned for its realism and a powerhouse performance by Farjami, Nargess is a haunting portrayal of the cycle of poverty and the high price of survival.

In Farsi with English subtitles

Introduced by director Rakhshan Banietemad.