Circumstance (2011 film)
Encyclopedia
Circumstance is a 2011 dramatic film written and directed by Maryam Keshavarz
. It explores homosexuality
in modern Iran
.
. She and her best friend Shireen (Sarah Kazemy) attend illicit parties and experiment with sex, drinking, and drugs.
Atafeh's brother Mehran (Reza Sixo Safai) is a recovering drug-addict who becomes increasingly religious.
dialogue, the film was actually shot in Lebanon
. Sarah Kazemy, a Paris resident, visited relatives in Tehran while researching her role.
). The critical consensus called it "A thought-provoking, insightful look into Iranian youth culture."
Maryam Keshavarz
Maryam Keshavarz is Iranian-American filmmaker.Keshavarz studied Persian literature at the University of Shiraz before turning to filmmaking. She has a B.A...
. It explores homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
in modern Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
.
Plot
Atafeh (Nikohl Boosheri) is the teenage daughter of a well-to-do Iranian family in TehranTehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
. She and her best friend Shireen (Sarah Kazemy) attend illicit parties and experiment with sex, drinking, and drugs.
Atafeh's brother Mehran (Reza Sixo Safai) is a recovering drug-addict who becomes increasingly religious.
Production
Set in Iran and released with subtitled PersianPersian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
dialogue, the film was actually shot in Lebanon
Cinema of Lebanon
Cinema of Lebanon, according to film critic and historian, Roy Armes, was the only other cinema in the Arabic-speaking region, beside Egypt's, that could amount to a national cinema...
. Sarah Kazemy, a Paris resident, visited relatives in Tehran while researching her role.
Critical reception
Reviews of the film were mostly positive (receiving an 82% rating on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
). The critical consensus called it "A thought-provoking, insightful look into Iranian youth culture."