As far as I know, “This Is Not a Film” is the first movie smuggled out of its country on a thumb drive that has ever received national distribution.
It probably didn’t take you too many guesses to deduce that the country was Iran. Along with squelching other kinds of freedoms, Iran has been hard lately on its world-class filmmakers, especially Jafar Panahi, director of the powerful “Offside” and “The Circle.”
Panahi was arrested in 2010 for perceived offenses against the state; he has been sentenced to six years imprisonment and a 20-year ban from filmmaking, a situation that has brought the condemnation of the world community, to no avail.
While he was waiting for his sentence to be announced, Panahi (under what appears to be house arrest at the time) collaborated with documentary filmmaker Mojtaba Mirtahmasb to make “This Is Not a Film.”
It is, hands down, the singular movie of the year. What you see is Panahi, in his comfortable Tehran apartment, talking to his lawyer on the phone, inviting Mirtahmasb over to make a movie, and enacting some scenes from a banned screenplay.
At first you think: Well, this is courageous, defying the filmmaking ban. Then the movie becomes unexpectedly witty, as Panahi’s day takes different turns and as his mood changes (eventually he gives up on re-staging the banned film, as various complications arise — such as the attention he pays to his pet iguana).
The title seems sort of clever, and then Panahi explains that if he works as a filmmaker, he will add to his jail sentence. But he doesn’t see how reading a script or talking about his life should violate this edict. Which is why the movie can only be called “This Is Not a Film.”
As the 75 minutes go along, “This Is Not a Film” becomes strangely moving to experience, including Panahi’s encounter with an engaging young man, a student, who happens to be collecting the garbage for the building. Even setting a foot outside could cause problems for the filmmaker, but it’s tempting to go out for a moment, if only to see the fireworks going off in the city — either as a celebration or a protest, it’s not clear which.
The movie isn’t a raw documentary; Panahi and Mirtahmasb took a few days to shoot it, although it is set during a single day. It’s a crafted piece of work, and packs a sneaky punch at the end.
The end credits, too: The usual acknowledgements are filled not by names, but by a series of asterisks where the names should be. Sometimes making a movie is a matter of life and death, and this film — which is not a film — reminds us of that.
“This Is Not a Film” (3½ stars)
The brilliant Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi made this homemade effort while under house arrest (he was sentenced to six years jail and a 20-year ban from filmmaking for perceived offenses against the state). The movie is a courageous act, but it’s also unexpectedly witty and moving, as we watch Panahi reading from a banned script and encountering people during his day. In Farsi, with English subtitles.
Rated: Not rated; probably PG for subject matter.
Showing: Northwest Film Forum.
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