Terrestrial Verses

• Ali Asgari, Alireza Khatami
• 77 min
• Iran
• 2023
• Fiction

Everyday oppression in Iran is depicted with equal parts absurd humor and indignation in an intelligent and Kafkaesque portrayal of contemporary society.

A father tries to register the name David for his newborn son but is informed that the name cannot be approved. A young girl joyfully dances in a department store to the pop music in her pink cat-ear-shaped headphones, all while her mother discusses what is considered an appropriate, traditional costume for her daughter. In nine short scenes, Terrestrial Verses portrays ordinary people trying to navigate through bureaucracy, harassment, and repression. Filmed in tableaus and with the camera solely focused on the exposed, the frustration penetrates to the core. With a brilliant script and acting, each scene captivates, coming together to form an absurdist and compelling fresco of the restricted existence in a totalitarian society.

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• Drama
• Religion
• Social utsatthet
• Social rättvisa
• Samhälle