Ardeshir Kazemi

Fereydoon is well known for honesty who neighbors give him their house key when they are on a trip. It gets complicated when his ex-con brother-in-law comes for a visit.

A satirical take on the mundane absurdities of life in modern-day Iran, these nine vignettes illuminate the lighter side of enduring under authoritarian rule. Whether choosing a name for a newborn, graduating from grade school, getting a driver’s license, applying for a job, or seeking approval for a film script, if you live in Iran, you best come fluent in Orwellian discourse. Progressing along a rough timeline from birth to death, each story is shot in a static camera angle as a single petitioner negotiates with an authority figure hovering just outside of frame, who is practiced in the language of doublespeak.

The peaceful life of the members of the Rabbani family undergoes changes with the unexpected arrival of a snake, the discovery of an exquisite manuscript and a mysterious hole.