DIRECTOR: Mehran Tamadon | Iran/France | 2014 | 105min
After three years, atheist Iranian expat Mehran Tamadon has done it: he’s convinced four Muslim clerics, defenders of Iran’s Islamic Republic, to spend a weekend living under one roof in the hope of brainstorming a way for all Iranians to co-exist, regardless of belief. As the clerics arrive for the mother of all sleepovers, the stage is set for a gripping experiment, a war of words as Tamadon pitches his liberal convictions against dogma, realising that the boundaries between them are hard to define. Debating issues from women’s rights to music and freedom of speech, this is an epic cat and mouse game laced with poison, fascinating entertainment and the sober reminder that mankind is destined to find conflict amongst itself, no matter how advanced it believes it is.
Awards
Cinema du Reel: Grand Prize
Jihlava IDF: Best Documentary
Festival Appearances
Berlinale
Screenings at Encounters 2015
CT: Sat 13 8.30pm CN V&A | Sun 14 5.30pm Labia
Jozi: Tue 9 6.30pm CN Rosebank