THREE AND A HALF
Synopsis: THREE AND A HALF is the story of Hanieh, Homa and Banafsheh, three Iranian convicts who, while on temporary leave from prison, hatch a scheme to escape the country by crossing the northern border. Telling jokes and pulling pranks on each other, the young women may appear playful on the surface, but their risky gambit is deadly serious. Moving cautiously through streets, the three are denied stay by the shadiest hotels and are forced to rely on friends and suspicious characters for aid. As they get closer to the border, the stressful conditions and the secrets they hide raise tensions between the women. Despite all their obstacles, they remain quietly determined and even optimistic, buoyed by the revelation that one of them is pregnant. In his sophomore film, Naghi Nemati spins a universal tale about oppressed but resilient allies who risk it all to pursue personal freedom and a better life.
Director: Naghi Nemati
Cast: Samaneh Vafaiezadeh, Shooka Karimi, Negar Hassanzadeh, Mehdi Poormoosa
Dates/Times/Locations: Saturday, November 5, 1:00 PM, Egyptian Theatre / Monday, November 7, 7:00 PM, Mann Chinese
A SEPARATION
Synopsis: Iran’s Official Foreign Oscar Submission When Simin files for divorce from her husband Nader, neither of them imagines that her action will lead to a domestic incident that will force each member of the family to conceal the truth in a desperate attempt to protect each other. Director Asghar Farhadi deftly builds mounting suspense with smart narrative twists and turns. He also elicits haunting performances from his cast, notably from his own daughter Sarina Farhadi as Termeh, the 11-year-old child who is forced to take sides in her family’s domestic dispute. Winner of the Golden Bear in Berlin, A SEPARATION is a clear-eyed and complex portrait of a modern middle-class Iranian family that is drawn into an ever-escalating feud. Farhadi’s previous film, ABOUT ELLY, screened at AFI FEST in 2009.
Director: Asghar Farhadi
Cast: Leila Hatami, Peyman Moadi, Shahab Hosseini, Sareh Bayat, Sarina Farhadi, Babak Karimi, Merila Zarei
Dates/Times/Locations: Sunday, November 6, 6:15 PM, Mann Chinese
THIS IS NOT A FILM
Synopsis: “If one could tell a film, why would one make a film?” In 2006, Jafar Panahi was able to attend AFI FEST and share his film OFFSIDE with our audience. At this year's festival, Panahi’s absence is strongly felt. Forbidden by the Iranian government from leaving the country, threatened with imprisonment and, most unthinkably, banned from filmmaking for 20 years, Panahi has made this short document of his life at this inconceivable crossroads. Essential viewing for fans of any cinema, not just Iranian, this is one of the most unique portraits of an artist under constraint ever filmed. Made with his co-director Mojtaba Mirtahmasb, the film was shot over the course of one day as Panahi battles his conviction and seeks to overturn his sentence. On his way to the Toronto Film Festival, Mirtahmasb was also detained, stripped of his passport, and told he could not leave Iran to present this film.
Director: Mojtaba Mirtahmasb, Jafar Panahi
Cast: Jafar Panahi
Dates/Times/Locations: Friday, November 4, 7:15 PM, Mann Chinese
Starting October 27th tickets for these and all films from AFI FEST presented by Audi are FREE and available online and at the Box Office located at Hollywood & Highland Center, 6801 Hollywood Blvd, Ste. 219
Contact the organizer for latest event info. Kodoom.com is not responsible for any changes made in the above information. Report or Flag this event
