Loading Events

SFFILM Festival

A Man of Integrity

Directed by Mohammad Rasoulof

Iran | 118

6 Apr
Fri, Apr 6, 2018 at 1:30 pm PT

Description

Power struggles and moral compromises feed an escalating conflict when an uncompromising fish farmer clashes with his neighbor and a powerful company that has its sights set on his land. In a country where, as one character puts it, “you’re either the oppressed or the oppressor,” farmer Reza tries to be neither, living by his own strict personal code, but ingrained corruption and escalating threats puts mounting pressure on his values. Winner of the Un Certain Regard prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

“Mohammad Rasoulof’s drama exerts a tension which builds along with the piscine body count … this is a satisfyingly gritty addition to Iran’s tradition of humanist cinema … Rasoulof effectively conveys the rhythms of Reza’s life; squelching around in waders tending his fish, then brewing batches of covert hooch in doctored watermelons. These are disrupted by the pile up of catastrophes and Reza looks on helplessly, a rubbernecker watching the car crash of his own life.” – Wendy Ide, Screen Daily

“Rasoulof, in a similar situation to countryman Jafar Panahi, is largely banned from filmmaking in his country, recently had his passport revoked and sits beneath the Sword of Damocles that is a suspended prison sentence for dissident activity. The bizarre catch-22 that is to be a filmmaker at work in, and now confined to, the one country in the world where your films will not be shown could drive a lesser director to distraction, but Rasoulof’s film, while understandably angry, is nothing if not single-minded. It’s a saturnine morality tale that unfolds in shades of rainy gray beneath leaden, overcast skies, gritting up the nation’s cinematic tradition of humanist drama to an almost unrecognizable degree.” – Jessica Kiang, The Playlist

Director Mohammad Rasoulof

Mohammed Rasoulof made his feature debut in 2002 with The Twilight. He won his first Un Certain Regard award at Cannes for Goodbye (2011) and Cannes’ FIPRESCI Prize for Manuscripts Don’t Burn (Festival 2014). In 2010, he was arrested in Iran and sentenced to six years in prison for filming without a permit. After serving one year of his sentence, he was let out on bail, but still faces the prospect of having to finish serving his time.

Film Details

Language Farsi

Year 2017

Runtime 118

Country Iran

Director Mohammad Rasoulof

Producer Mohammad Rasoulof

Writer Mohammad Rasoulof

Editor Mohammadreza Muini, Meysam Muini

Cinematographer Ashkan Ashkani

Cast Reza Akhlaghirad, Soudabeh Beizaee, Nasim Adabi