Review of This Is Not a Film

This Iranian documentary directed by Jafar Panahi & Mojtaba Mirtahmasb has a very interesting & complex, backstory behind it. After several years of conflict with the Iranian government over the content of his films, the government arrested Jafar Panahi in March 2010, with charges of propaganda against the Iranian government when they find out that Jafar Panahi was trying to make a documentary about the Green Movement protesters. Despite support from filmmakers, film organizations, and human rights organizations from around the world, in December of that year, Panahi was sentenced to a six-year jail sentence and a 20-year ban on directing any movies, writing screenplays, giving any form of interview with Iranian or foreign media, or from leaving the country except for medical treatment or making the Hajj pilgrimage. After a short jail time, he was released from prison, and order by the courts, to stay in his house for the rest of his sentence. While awaiting the result of an appeal of his house arrest, he secretly made, this 2011 documentary, 'This Is Not a Film', showing the troubles, he been having, since being sentence with house arrest in the form of a video diary. He did all this in spite of the legal ramifications of his arrest. It was smuggled out of Iran in a flash drive hidden inside a cake and shown at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. I'm deeply surprise that this movie even got shown in the Cannes Film Festival in 2011. I'm more astonish, that Jafar Panahi got away with it, and didn't get into much trouble for pulling that stunt. You would think, that they would put him, back into jail. I guess, the Iranian government didn't want to drag this, issue out any longer, because it was making them, look bad, in the eyes of the Western World. By the early 2010's, the harsh antics of then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was dying down, and Iran was looking for reform with civil rights charter Hassan Rouhani, in hope to restore the economy of Iran and improve rocky relations with Western nations. They didn't want, the Jafar Panahi issue to be overblown, so instead of more punishment, Jafar Panahi been allowed to move more freedom. While, Panahi is still banned from making films, he still somewhat able to get his films made. In 2013 & 2015, he got two films made with the help of his family members & friends. It's clear, that the government isn't enforcing this unwritten law. For safety reasons, in this film, Mojtaba Mirtahmasb did much of the filming. Since, it had to be made quickly, the movie doesn't no linear narrative, no talking heads and no interviews. It doesn't even much of anything of a story. For any viewer that isn't familiar to what Panahi is going, trough. This documentary makes a hard-watch. After all, it just shows Panahi doing mundane stuff with his pet, Iguana. It might be too boring. For any viewers, that know a little amount of Panahi. It looks like a masterpiece, because it shows how bored and desperate, Panahi has been since this verdict may mean his artistic death. For me, it was alright for the most part. I was always curious about, his previous films and how people can live, under a harsh totalitarianism government. I think the best thing about the film is showcasing the ancient Iranian festival of Chaharshanbe Suri that precedes the Persian New Year and how young people are rebelling, by shooting outlawed fireworks. I never heard of the holiday, before seeing this film. My least favorite part is the chat with the trash collector. It was way too claustrophobic, unclear and hand-on for me. The only thing, I can nitpick, is how the film, could have service the people, of Iran, a lot more, instead of himself. Don't get me wrong, I love that this film is a good example of an open letter for free expression in Iran, but it's a far cry, from anything he done, before it. His style of neorealism within the Iranian New Wave film movement is memorable. The way he mix real time events with storytelling is rich in poetry and painterly images. Sadly, this movie doesn't show, any of that. It's a noble venture, but it felt like a selfish self-promotion, for Panahi. He talks more about his previous movies and his problems, more than anything else in the film. While, his action to film, himself is brave; it felt like, it's not that strong of a statement. His punishment isn't that harsh, compare to other people, who did far, little, against the government. He doesn't rant in the film about the cruelty of the government or how other people got it worst. It felt like a 'look, at what they are doing to me, please solve it' vanity project, than anything else. This is so unlike, his previous works, which gave a voice to the voiceless. Overall: Portraying a normal typical day of his life isn't as strong, as showing how other people freedoms are being trampled on. It's still a must-watch, but the movie could had better.