Contemporary Iranian Cinema
- Dressage
- Iran2018
- Pooya Badkoobeh
- 95 DCP
- NR
- Contemporary Iranian Cinema
Screening Dates
- December 16, 2018 4:00
- December 17, 2018 6:30
“An ethical tale for a new era … A provocative look at power, money, hypocrisy, and the gap between generations.”
Alissa Simon, Variety
Director Pooya Badkoobeh’s superb debut—Best First Film at 2018’s Fajr IFF—is a moral drama addressing social divisions and the soulless pursuit of wealth and status by the well-off classes in contemporary Iran. When alienated suburban teen Golsa (newcomer Negar Moghaddam, impressive) and her more-affluent friends decide to rob a grocery store just for kicks, it sets in motion a chain of unexpected events. “Badkoobeh’s ambitious, beautifully acted, and gorgeously shot work belies the fact that this is his first film. The moral ambiguity at its centre—Golsa is never particularly sympathetic and her actions have damaging consequences—demonstrates the maturity of focus and the thematic consistency of a veteran filmmaker” (VIFF).