Iranian cinema dates back to 1930, and incudes many must-watch titles. Syed Firdaus Ashraf lists 10 Iranian movies you should not miss.
A Hero (2021)
A man cannot repay his debt and lands in prison. He comes out with a plan to clear his debt but things don't work out.
A Separation (2011)
A woman wants to shift abroad to give her daughter a better future but her husband cannot leave behind his father, who is suffering from Alzheimer's. This is the first Iranian film to win an Oscar.
Offside (2006)
Since women are banned from watching soccer matches in stadiums in Iran, a bunch of them dress up as men, hoping to watch one. But they get arrested, leading to chaos and unexpected kindness.
Kandahar (2001)
An Afghan-born Canadian journalist travels to Kandahar to stop her sister from committing suicide. The film speaks about the plight of women under the Taliban regime.
Baran (2001)
A teenage boy named Lateef falls in love with Baran, who lives in the Afghan refugee camp. Majid Majidi directs this heartbreaking story.
The Colour of Paradise (1999)
A blind boy's father wants to remarry after his wife’s death in this Majid Majidi masterpiece. Will the father abandon his son for a new wife?
Children of Heaven (1997)
A boy loses his sister’s only pair of shoes and now, they have to share his shoes until she gets a new pair. The Majid Majidi film was the first Iranian movie to be nominated for an Oscar but lost to the Italian film, Life Is Beautiful.
Taste of Cherry (1997)
A man, who wants to commit suicide, drives around the city hoping to find someone who will bury him.
The Cyclist (1987)
A poor Afghan refugee in Iran has to cycle continuously for a week in the town square in order to raise money for his wife's life-saving surgery.
The Cow (1967)
A villager loves his cow, and when it dies, he descends into madness. The film was banned in Iran because of the way it depicted poverty.