Cinema Rex - Iranian Cinema Podcast
Kaveh Mohebbi & Faran Moradi
From Kiarostami to Abbasi, from Farrokhzad to Amirpour. From pre-revolutionary cinema to modern times. Join Iranian-Canadian filmmakers Kaveh Mohebbi and Faran Moradi (a screenwriter and a director) as they embark on a crash-course on all that Iranian cinema has to offer episode-to-episode one film at a time.
Episodes
074 - Samad in the Way of the Dragon ft. Behtash Fazlali
After discovering Bruce Lee at the cinema, a Samad opens his own martial arts dojo in the village, finding himself caught in a hilarious game of double espionage between the police and a gang of dangerous criminals. Written and Directed by Parviz Sayyad
073 - Crimson Gold
After a humiliated Tehran pizza delivery man is repeatedly confronted by the city's brutal class divide, a string of every day indignities pushes him towards a desperate jewelry store robbery. Directed by Jafar Panahi
072 - Bidad
A young woman challenges societal restrictions through her street performances, becoming an inspiration for those seeking change in her community. Written and Directed by Soheil Beiraghi
071 - Son-Mother
A widow who works tirelessly at a failing factory in sanctions-gripped Iran receives a marriage proposal that could mean financial security, but could also tear her family apart. Directed by Mahnaz Mohammadi
070 - Hollywood Hitjobs: Rosewater
Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari is detained by Iranian forces who brutally interrogate him under suspicion that he is a spy. Written and Directed by Jon Stewart
069 - Close-Up (ft. Tara Aghdashloo)
The true story of Hossain Sabzian, a cinephile who impersonated the director Mohsen Makhmalbaf to convince a family they would star in his so-called new film. Written and Directed by Abbas Kiarostami
068 - Chicken With Plums
Since his beloved violin was broken, Nasser Ali Khan, one of the most renowned musicians of his day, has lost all taste for life. Finding no instrument worthy of replacing it, he decides to confine himself to bed to await death. Directed by Marjane Satrapi & Vincent Paronnaud
067 - Santouri (ft. Sepideh Yadegar)
Crushed by the contraband nature of music in theocratic Iran, a talented santour player is faced with poverty, addiction and his fractured marriage. Directed by Dariush Mehrjui
066 - The Apple
After twelve years of imprisonment by their own parents, two sisters are finally released by social workers to face the outside world for the first time. Directed by Samira Makhmalbaf
065 - Buddah Collapsed Out of Shame
In Afghanistan, a young girl embarks on a journey to learn to read and write, only to be met with a series of obstacles including financial strain, a series of quests and a local gang of bullies pretending to be the Taliban. Directed by Hana Makhmalbaf
064 - A Man of Integrity
A drama about corruption and injustice in Iranian society. You are the oppressed, or you have to join the oppressor to survive. Written and Directed by Mohammad Rasoulof
063 - The Things You Kill
Haunted by the suspicious death of his ailing mother, a university professor coerces his enigmatic gardener to execute a cold-blooded act of vengeance. Written and Directed by Alireza Khatami
062 - Gabbeh
When an old couple washes their gabbeh rug - a young woman magically appears and tells them her life story. Written and Directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf
061 - The Persian Version
When a large Iranian-American family gathers, a family secret is uncovered that catapults the estranged mother and daughter into an exploration of the past, and to discover they are more alike than they know. Written and Directed by Maryam Keshavarz
060 - Hollywood Hitjobs: The Terminal (ft. Pouya)
An Eastern European tourist unexpectedly finds himself stranded at JFK airport and must take up temporary residence there. Directed by Steven Spielberg
059 - It Was Just An Accident
An unassuming mechanic is reminded of his time in an Iranian prison when he encounters a man he suspects to be his sadistic jailhouse captor. Panicked, he rounds up a few of his fellow ex-prisoners to confirm the man's identity. Directed by Jafar Panahi
058 - Ballad of Tara
A young widow returning to her village inherits an ancient sword no one will claim - until a warrior from the past arrives to retrieve it, only to fall in love with her instead. Written and Directed by Bahram Beyzaie
057 - Children of Heaven (ft. Rod Hafezi)
When an impoverished boy loses his sister shoes, the siblings are forced to secretly share his only pair, racing back and forth against school suspensions, and the discipline of their unforgiving father at home. Directed by Majid Majidi
056 - Tall Shadows of the Wind
When Abdollah imbues a scarecrow with the likeness of a man, one by one the townspeople succumb to madness, as rumours swirl that it might actually be possessed. Directed by Bahman Farmanara
055 - Agitation and Film Farsi (ft. Sina Dolati)
AKA, Anxiety (1976) is the story of an ex-con who's trying to make up for lost time with his wife and child, only for this new life of peace to be threatened by a racket of deceit and blackmail. We also discuss the phenomenon of the "Film Farsi" genre in more detail with special guest, Sina Dolati of Rangarang! Directed by Samuel Khachikian
054 - The Night (ft. Dara Eshaghian)
An Iranian couple living in the US become trapped inside a hotel when insidious events force them to face the secrets that have come between them, in a night that never ends. Directed by Kourosh Ahari
053 - Zalava
Investigating reports of demonic possessions in a remote village, a skeptical military officer finds his beliefs tested by an enigmatic exorcist. Directed by Arsalan Amiri This film is available to watch on YouTube
052 - Taxi
Banned from making movies by the Iranian government, Jafar Panahi poses as a taxi driver and makes a movie about social challenges in Iran. Written and Directed by Jafar Panahi This film is available to view on Hoopla, or rent/own from Apple TV
051 - The Report
A government tax auditor’s failing marriage unravels as his moral compromises at work mirror the growing alienation and mistrust in his home. Written and Directed by Abbas Kiarostami This film is available to view on the Criterion Channel
050 - Hollywood Hitjobs: Septembers of Shiraz (ft. Foad Hp)
In the wake of the Iranian Revolution, a prosperous Jewish family abandons everything before they are consumed by the passions of revolutionaries. Directed by Wayne Blair This film is available digitally in the USA from Fandango and in Canada through Plex and PlutoTV free with ads.
049 - Sheeple
The honour Shahin and Shakoor, two brothers leading a powerful gang in the underbelly of Tehran, is brought into question when a video of their sister leaks, threatening to unravel not just their gang but their own family. Written and Directed by Houman Seyyedi This film is available to view on YouTube
048 - The Cyclist
In an attempt to raise money for his sick wife's medical care, an Afghan refugee partakes in a grueling exhibition where he must bike, non-stop for seven days and seven nights - battling hunger, exhaustion and enemies who stand to gain from his loss. Written and Directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf. This film is available to view on YouTube.
047 - Law of Tehran (Just 6.5)
Law of Tehran aka Just 6.5 aka Metri Shish o Neem tells the story of Samad (Payman Maadi) a narcotics detective in pursuit of a shadow drug kingpin Naser Khakzad (Navid Mohammadzadeh). One day a raid leads to capturing a low level dealer who leads to a bigger fish, who is somehow connected to the notorious drug lord. This film is available on Youtube.
046 - Persepolis (ft. Kaveh Taherian)
A precocious and outspoken Iranian girl grows up during the Islamic Revolution. Written & Directed by Marjane Satrapi & Vincent Paronnaud
045 - Ashkan, the Charmed Ring and Other Stories
Two inept and unlucky blind men attempt a jewelry store robbery, setting off a chain of absurd, interwoven misadventures in a dryly comic tale about chance, failure, and the invisible threads between people. Written & Directed by Shahram Mokri
044 - Dead End
After days of observing a mysterious man loitering outside her home, a young woman attempts to win this stranger's heart. Written and Directed by Parviz Sayyad
043 - The Salesman
While Ranaa and Emad, a married couple, are participating in a production of "Death of a Salesman," she is assaulted in their new home, which leaves him determined to find the perpetrator over his wife's traumatized objections. Written and Directed by Asghar Farhadi.
042 - Brick and Mirror
After Hashem finds an abandoned baby in the backseat of his taxi, he and his girlfriend, Taji, must decide the fate of this child. Written and Directed by Ebrahim Golestan
041 - Chess of the Wind
A hypnotically stylized murder mystery awash in period atmosphere, unfolds inside a candlelit mansion, where a web of greed, violence, and betrayal ensnares potential heirs as they vie for control of their matriarch’s estate. Directed by Mohammad Reza Aslani
040 - Hollywood Hitjobs: Argo (ft. Tehran)
Acting under the cover of a Hollywood producer scouting a location for a science fiction film, a CIA agent launches a dangerous operation to rescue six Americans in Tehran during the U.S. hostage crisis in Iran in 1979. Directed by Ben Affleck This film is available on Prime Video and Crave
039 - The Lizard
A recently jailed petty thief disguises as a Mullah and succeeds in escaping; but has to stay in the Mullah' role longer than he expected. Directed by Kamal Tabrizi
038 - Hamoun (ft. Mehrtash Mohit)
Hamoon's wife is leaving him. He is also unsuccessfully trying to finish his Ph. D. thesis. He is forced to reexamine his life. In a series of flashbacks and dreams, Hamoon tries to figure out what he did wrong. Written and Directed by Dariush Mehrjui.
037 - Samad Goes to School (ft. Agha Navid)
Samad and the other villagers attend school so that they can learn to read, when a gang of drug smugglers infiltrate their class resulting in a hilarious slapstick confrontation between the villagers and the gangsters. This movie is available on YouTube. Directed by Parviz Sayyad.
036 - My Favourite Cake
Seventy-year-old Mahin, solitary until now, chooses to revive her love life. A chance encounter becomes an unforgettable evening. Directed by Maryam Moghadam & Behtash Sanaeeha
035 - Salam Cinema
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of film, Iranian director Mohsen Makhmalbaf advertises an open casting for his next movie. However when hundreds of people show up, he decides to make a movie about the casting of these would-be actors. Directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf. This film is available for rental on Vimeo.
034 - Shorts: Motherland, Empty Your Pockets, Retouch, I Am Trying to Remember (ft. Afra Nariman) + Arian Moayed and Jasmin Mozaffari Interviews
Our first short films special where we dive into films by Pegah Ahangarani, Kaveh Mazaheri, Tara Aghdashloo & Jasmin Mozaffari. This episode also includes special interviews with Jasmin Mozaffari and Arian Moayed.
033 - The Seed of the Sacred Fig (ft. Noura Alavi)
Investigating judge Iman grapples with paranoia amid political unrest in Tehran. When his gun vanishes, he suspects his wife and daughters, imposing draconian measures in an attempt to uncover the truth. Spoilers from 00:33:46 - 01:17:11
032 - Joonam (ft. Jasmin Mozaffari) + Arian Moayed and Sierra Urich Interviews
A young filmmaker delves into her mother and grandmother's complicated pasts, and her own fractured Iranian identity. This episode also features interviews with the Director of the film, Sierra Urich, and Executive Producer Arian Moayed.
031 - Ten
A visual social examination in the form of ten conversations between a driving woman and her various pick-ups and hitchhikers. A film by Mania Akbari and Abbas Kiarostami.
030 - Hollywood Hitjobs: House of Sand and Fog (ft. Rob Michaels)
After losing her house due to a taxing error, reformed addict Kathy Nicolo begins to harass the new owners of the house - Iranian immigrant Massoud Amir Behrani, along with his wife and son. Based on the novel by Andre Dubus III. Directed by Vadim Perelman This film is available for digital purchase and rental.
029 - A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (ft. Seena Haddad)
In the Iranian ghost-town Bad City, a place that reeks of death and loneliness, the townspeople are unaware they are being stalked by a lonesome vampire. Directed by Ana Lily Amirpour. This film is available for digital rental and purchase in the U.S, U.K. and Canada.
028 - Under the Shadow
Our first Halloween Special! As a mother and daughter struggle to cope with the terrors of the post-revolution, war-torn Tehran of the 1980s, a mysterious evil begins to haunt their home. Directed by Babak Anvari. This movie can be found on Netflix in most territories.
027 - The Stranger and The Fog
A boat drifts onto the shore of a small village, which the beautiful Rana hopes the has brought back her husband, who disappeared a year ago out on the sea. But the only passenger is Ayat, a wounded stranger with no memory of how he ended up in this land. After gradually proving himself as a member of the community, Ayat grows increasingly paranoid about wraiths from a forgotten past. Directed by Bahram Beyzaie
026 - Downpour
When he takes a job as a schoolteacher in a new neighborhood, the hapless intellectual Mr. Hekmati finds that he is a fish out of water. Directed by Bahram Beyzaie
025 - Baran (ft. Aisha Jamal)
In a building site in present-day Tehran, Lateef, a 17-year-old Azeri worker is irresistibly drawn to Rahmat, a young Afghan worker. The revelation of Rahmat's secret changes both of their lives. Directed by Majid Majidi.