Tehran, Tehran

Two Iranian directors. Two sides of the bustling capital city in two separate short films.  

In beautiful The Days of Acquaintance by Dariush Mehrjui, a displaced family spends their days on a tourist bus, traveling through Tehran from one historic site to the next.  A chance to marvel at the city's ancient wonders from thousands of miles away, Mehrjui’s short tour through Tehran is cinematic and beautifully shot, and features Iran’s fabled hospitality at it’s peak.  

The Last String by Mehdi Karampoor is a more youthful and modern tale of censorship that may more accurately portray the state of Iran today. Featuring one band's attempt to stage a concert in spite of a government-threatened shutdown, the film depicts the undercurrents of contemporary frustration that Karampoor sees in Iran’s steadily changing population. 

By juxtaposing these two films, Mehrjui and Karampoor demonstrate not only two sides of vibrancy to the Persian city, but create a powerful mood piece befitting a city with an extensive history, and bright future. Critics have picked the film as one of the top Iranian titles of the year.

Print Source: Amir Esfandiari, fcf1@dpi.net.ir