NO BEARS
The title of this film doesn't draw you in, but towards the end of this film the brilliance of the title hits you.
Made by the Iranian film maker, Jafar Panahi, (who wrote, directed, and starred in the film), No Bears, describes 2 parallel romances, one in Tehran and one in the tiny border village where he is staying while the film is being made.
His assistant follows Panahi's directions, cuts, changes etc on the phone or the internet while the director watches the making of his film on a laptop in a room in the village 3 hours out of the capital.
His presence in this village is extremely disturbing on many levels...... almost as disturbing as the films he has made and continues to make despite being imprisoned and having international travel bans placed on him.
This is a very complex film made about a very complex country where so many artists, film makers and creatives of all types risk their lives if they are involved in political activism. Despite this deeply political theme No Bears is also very funny at times and also deeply moving. Go see it when it's released here.
