[trailer]
A Seperation (2011), was an interesting cultural experience for me, definitely a film unlike any other I have seen recently. I attended the screening thinking that perhaps the language barrier would prevent me from understanding some of the emotional subtly in that is often lost in communication in films that deal with themes of separation and relationships. I was pleasantly surprised to walk out having witnessed a beautiful film that truly used the language of cinema to create a work that managed to involve me a very interesting way. At many times I found my head in conflict with my heart as I struggled to delegate my sympathies.
The film takes place in modern Iran and introduces us to a small middle-class family of three, a happily married couple Nader and Simin, and their bright eleven-year old daughter Termeh. Recently Nader's invalid father has come to live with them striking discord between the couple in regards to their plans to move abroad. Nader claims he cannot leave as his father, who is struggling from Alzheimer's disease, while Simin reminds him that they had planned to leave so that their daughter may have better opportunities in her life. The argument is not resolved and this eventuates in Simin leaving, while Nader, his father and Termeh remain. Nader hires a lower class cleaning lady, Razieh, to care for his father while he is at work however things go south when he returns home to him tied to a bed that he has fallen off. It is revealed that Razieh left him there to go out on an errand and this sparks a major dispute that sees Nader pushing her out of his house. It is at this point that her miscarriage reveals her badly hidden pregnancy and she points the finger of blame at the Nader. From here the film pits two families against one another as they struggle to resolve the issue, each turning to the legal system in an attempt to hide their inability to tell the truth.
What I found most interesting about this film was it's ability to present both the logical and emotional side of the dispute in a way that made me seriously question who I wanted to win. Even as information was revealed that incriminated Nader, my mind would flash back to sweet moments between him and his daughter where his care for her was obvious in the way he respected and gave her his time. I felt a deeper connection with him and thus sympathised with his predicament more than I did with Razieh's family so was largely relieved when it was revealed that she had lied about what caused the miscarriage. Though my heart barracked for Nader, my head wanted for Razieh to succeed, it was clear that the compensation money would have significantly improved her quality of life and given her daughter a better chance at life. When juxtaposed, the daughters of the two families clearly projected the socio-economic gap between the upper and lower class, another beautiful symbolic gesture by director Asghar Farhadi.
All in all a stunning film that was very unique in its portrayal of a dispute and it's messy resolution. The realist approach taken served to accentuate the emotional tug of war it played throughout, a technique that I thoroughly appreciated. A wonderful work and study of morality that seemed not only to test the characters, but the audience as well.
The film takes place in modern Iran and introduces us to a small middle-class family of three, a happily married couple Nader and Simin, and their bright eleven-year old daughter Termeh. Recently Nader's invalid father has come to live with them striking discord between the couple in regards to their plans to move abroad. Nader claims he cannot leave as his father, who is struggling from Alzheimer's disease, while Simin reminds him that they had planned to leave so that their daughter may have better opportunities in her life. The argument is not resolved and this eventuates in Simin leaving, while Nader, his father and Termeh remain. Nader hires a lower class cleaning lady, Razieh, to care for his father while he is at work however things go south when he returns home to him tied to a bed that he has fallen off. It is revealed that Razieh left him there to go out on an errand and this sparks a major dispute that sees Nader pushing her out of his house. It is at this point that her miscarriage reveals her badly hidden pregnancy and she points the finger of blame at the Nader. From here the film pits two families against one another as they struggle to resolve the issue, each turning to the legal system in an attempt to hide their inability to tell the truth.
What I found most interesting about this film was it's ability to present both the logical and emotional side of the dispute in a way that made me seriously question who I wanted to win. Even as information was revealed that incriminated Nader, my mind would flash back to sweet moments between him and his daughter where his care for her was obvious in the way he respected and gave her his time. I felt a deeper connection with him and thus sympathised with his predicament more than I did with Razieh's family so was largely relieved when it was revealed that she had lied about what caused the miscarriage. Though my heart barracked for Nader, my head wanted for Razieh to succeed, it was clear that the compensation money would have significantly improved her quality of life and given her daughter a better chance at life. When juxtaposed, the daughters of the two families clearly projected the socio-economic gap between the upper and lower class, another beautiful symbolic gesture by director Asghar Farhadi.
All in all a stunning film that was very unique in its portrayal of a dispute and it's messy resolution. The realist approach taken served to accentuate the emotional tug of war it played throughout, a technique that I thoroughly appreciated. A wonderful work and study of morality that seemed not only to test the characters, but the audience as well.
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