Terrestrial Verses Explained

Terrestrial Verses
Native Name:
Director:Ali Asgari and Alireza Khatami
Producer:Ali Asgari
Milad Khosravi
Starring:Sadaf Asgari
Bahram Ark
Ardeshir Kazemi
Gohar Kheirandish
Farzin Mohades
Faezeh Rad
Majid Salehi
Hossein Soleimani
Cinematography:Adib Sobhani
Editing:Ehsan Vaseghi
Runtime:77 minutes
Country:Iran
Language:Persian

Terrestrial Verses (Persian: آیه های زمینی) is a 2023 Iranian film written and directed by Ali Asgari and Alireza Khatami.[1] [2]

It had its world premiere at the Un Certain Regard section of the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, on 23 May 2023.

Synopsis

Iranians try to assert their rights in their country's system, whether it is the administration or the school, in work relationships or the procedures of everyday life.

Through these nine stories set in Tehran, the overwhelming weight of politics and religion in the service of power comes to light and is denounced.

Cast

Production

Asgari and Khatami worked on the script together, but had difficulty finding a producer and ultimately produced the film at their own expense with financial support from friends. The film was then shot within seven days.[3]

Release

The film premiered on May 23, 2023, in Cannes, after which it was shown on October 4, 2023, at the BFI Film Festival in London, on October 19, 2023, in the USA during the Chicago International Film Festival and at other international film festivals. The cinema release in Germany was April 11, 2024.[4]

Awards

The film won both the Grand Prix and the FIPRESCI Award at 2024 Luxembourg City Film Festival.[5]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 'Terrestrial Verses' Review: Sitting in the Bureaucrat's Seat. Alissa. Wilkinson. April 25, 2024. NYTimes.com.
  2. Web site: 'Terrestrial Verses' Review: Stories of Struggle in Iran. Zachary. Barnes.
  3. https://kunstundfilm.de/2024/04/irdische-verse/ Alireza Khatami und Ali Asgari, Irdische Verse
  4. https://www.berlin.de/kino/_bin/filmdetail.php/298256 Irdische Verse
  5. Web site: Terrestrial Verses wins big at the Luxembourg City Film Festival. Vassilis . Economou. 2024-03-11. Cineuropa. 2024-05-31.