Unique Australian/Iranian co-production bears the imprint of Granaz Moussavi's personal history
'My Tehran for Sale' is an interesting, unique co-production between entities in Iran and Australia. The story - involving elements of both countries - reflects aspects of the personal history of writer/director, Granaz Moussavi. A native Tehrani, Ms. Granaz emigrated to Australia along with her family in 1997. She's a graduate of Sydney's Australian Film TV and Radio School.
Using that unique background, Ms. Moussavi has created the story of Marzieh (Marzieh Vafamehr), a Tehrani-based avant garde actress stealthily performing her art beneath the noses of authority. A happenstance encounter with Saman (at a rave brutally broken up by the Basij), an Iranian with Australian citizenship, leads to a quickly blossoming romance and a possible path to Australia for Marzieh.
The need for that path becomes more desperate when Marzieh learns of a grave illness afflicting her. Attempting to lean on support from Saman, he reacts badly and abandons her. Yet interspersed...
Thought provoking
Artful film about Marzieh who is a young actress who is trying to get an application for asylum going while working on getting her background in art recognized and is recounting struggle throughout.
During these flashback sequences she meets an Australian at a rave club party and they plan to relocate to Adelaide in Australia. There is a scene where she is looking for her father only to be told he would kill her and so she eventually applies for political asylum as she is involved in a generation of contradictions and has to deal with their unsympathetic nature.
Director Granaz Moussavi, who has admitted in interviews to the film being a patchwork of incidents partially fictional and partially autobiographical, brings an astonishing authenticity to her feature film debut. Using lively, largely hand-held cameras, Moussavi's film carries an unmistakable documentary feel, making the subject matter of her film in tune with even more urgent realism and credibility...
The story behind the movie is courageous; the movie itself is OK
While the story behind the movie is courageous, that doesn't make the movie itself a great movie. It's an OK movie which offers insights into modern Iran to those of us who have never experienced it - and who, I hope, never experience anything like it.
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