Asghar Farhadi
- DarkImbecile
- Ask me about my visible cat breasts
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Asghar Farhadi
Asghar Farhadi (1972 - )
"I believe that art in the face of censorship is like water in the face of a stone. The water will find a way to flow around it."
Filmography
Features
Dancing in the Dust (2003)
The Beautiful City (2004)
Fireworks Wednesday (2006)
About Elly (2009)
A Separation (2011)
The Past (2013)
The Salesman (2016)
Everybody Knows (2018)
Television
The Waiter (1998)
Farrokh & Faraj Residential Complex (1998)
Story of a City (1999)
Story of a City II (2001)
Books
Asghar Farhadi: Life and Cinema by Tina Hassannia (2014)
Web Resources
2011 interview with Saeed Kamali Dehghan, The Guardian
2013 interview with Laya Maheshwari, IndieWire
2014 interview with Laya Maheshwari, Filmmaker Magazine
2017 interview with Smriti Kiran, Film Companion
2017 interview with Hillary Weston, Criterion Current
2017 interview with Matthew Eng, Reverse Shot
2017 interview with Matt Fagerholm, RogerEbert.com
"How Iran’s Greatest Director Makes Art of Moral Ambiguity" by Giles Harvey, The New York Times Magazine (2019)
Forum Resources
A Separation (Asghar Farhadi, 2011)
The Past (Asghar Farhadi, 2013)
"I believe that art in the face of censorship is like water in the face of a stone. The water will find a way to flow around it."
Filmography
Features
Dancing in the Dust (2003)
The Beautiful City (2004)
Fireworks Wednesday (2006)
About Elly (2009)
A Separation (2011)
The Past (2013)
The Salesman (2016)
Everybody Knows (2018)
Television
The Waiter (1998)
Farrokh & Faraj Residential Complex (1998)
Story of a City (1999)
Story of a City II (2001)
Books
Asghar Farhadi: Life and Cinema by Tina Hassannia (2014)
Web Resources
2011 interview with Saeed Kamali Dehghan, The Guardian
2013 interview with Laya Maheshwari, IndieWire
2014 interview with Laya Maheshwari, Filmmaker Magazine
2017 interview with Smriti Kiran, Film Companion
2017 interview with Hillary Weston, Criterion Current
2017 interview with Matthew Eng, Reverse Shot
2017 interview with Matt Fagerholm, RogerEbert.com
"How Iran’s Greatest Director Makes Art of Moral Ambiguity" by Giles Harvey, The New York Times Magazine (2019)
Forum Resources
A Separation (Asghar Farhadi, 2011)
The Past (Asghar Farhadi, 2013)
- mfunk9786
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Re: Asghar Farhadi
Nice photo! "I believe that I vaaaaant to suck your blood!"
- FrauBlucher
- Joined: Mon Jul 15, 2013 8:28 pm
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Re: Asghar Farhadi
Awesome! One of my faves.
- DarkImbecile
- Ask me about my visible cat breasts
- Joined: Mon Dec 09, 2013 6:24 pm
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Re: Asghar Farhadi
"How Iran’s Greatest Director Makes Art of Moral Ambiguity" is a solid 5,500-word profile and look at Everybody Knows from The New York Times Magazine, and I'm glad to have it... but that headline is pretty definitive when Rasoulof, Makhmalbaf, and Panahi are still around.
- domino harvey
- Dot Com Dom
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Re: Asghar Farhadi
How the Director From Iran We've Heard of Makes Art of Moral Ambiguity
- Cremildo
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- BenoitRouilly
- Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2018 5:49 pm
Re: Asghar Farhadi
I agree he is greater than these others. His cinema might be more "mainstream", in style and content, but he masters his craft on a greater scale. His films are perfectly written and mis-en-scène. He's the "Bergman of Iran". And the greatest living Iranian filmmaker since Kiarostami (who was even greater of course).DarkImbecile wrote: ↑Thu Jan 31, 2019 7:34 pmbut that headline is pretty definitive when Rasoulof, Makhmalbaf, and Panahi are still around.
I've seen his last seven feature films. Even though I'm less convinced by his venture in foreign language territory, still they are great cinema.
To me A Separation, About Elly and Fireworks Wednesday are his masterpieces.
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- Joined: Wed May 01, 2013 1:27 pm
Re: Asghar Farhadi
His films are nicely made for sure, but there no where near as interesting as the films of Makhmalbaf and Panahi. I'm probably in the minority here but "perfectly written and mis-en-scene" doesn't do much for me.BenoitRouilly wrote: ↑Wed Feb 12, 2020 12:41 pmI agree he is greater than these others. His cinema might be more "mainstream", in style and content, but he masters his craft on a greater scale. His films are perfectly written and mis-en-scène. He's the "Bergman of Iran". And the greatest living Iranian filmmaker since Kiarostami (who was even greater of course).DarkImbecile wrote: ↑Thu Jan 31, 2019 7:34 pmbut that headline is pretty definitive when Rasoulof, Makhmalbaf, and Panahi are still around.
I've seen his last seven feature films. Even though I'm less convinced by his venture in foreign language territory, still they are great cinema.
To me A Separation, About Elly and Fireworks Wednesday are his masterpieces.
- swo17
- Bloodthirsty Butcher
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Re: Asghar Farhadi
He's more like the Lelouch of Iran. He's fine
Rasoulof is the Pasolini and Panahi is the Bergman
Rasoulof is the Pasolini and Panahi is the Bergman
- Michael Kerpan
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Re: Asghar Farhadi
My reaction to him is -- "he's okay, I guess"
- knives
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- domino harvey
- Dot Com Dom
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Re: Asghar Farhadi
A Separation, About Elly, and Le passé are all tremendous films, Lelouch wishes he was the French Farhadi
- swo17
- Bloodthirsty Butcher
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Re: Asghar Farhadi
I dunno, Coppola? I haven't really thought this through
P.S. I made this statement having rather enjoyed the Lelouch film I just saw, Roman de gare
- domino harvey
- Dot Com Dom
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Re: Asghar Farhadi
Ironically, with its conscious toying of the audience and gradual revelations of key narrative elements, that may be the only Lelouch film that could be fairly compared to Farhadi (though Lelouch’s film is doing it for wonderfully playful and somewhat trashy returns rather than following the traditional playwright’s dramatic structures of revelation Farhadi favors)
- knives
- Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm
Re: Asghar Farhadi
I was thinking Huston. Also being better than Lelouch is the special olympics of art house conservatism.
- BenoitRouilly
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Re: Asghar Farhadi
What is your criteria then?Glowingwabbit wrote: ↑Wed Feb 12, 2020 12:57 pmI'm probably in the minority here but "perfectly written and mis-en-scene" doesn't do much for me.
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Re: Asghar Farhadi
I'd say my criteria in this case particular is that Panahi and Makhmalbaf (like Kiarostami) have reshaped/challenged my perception of what cinema is/can be (especially in relation to fiction and reality), which I hold in higher regard to to anything Farhadi has done. And that's just my criteria in this particular argument. I'm not saying Farhadi is bad or that I dislike his films, just that I would never put him at the level of the other 3. Is he a better craftsman, sure, but that's like saying someone is a talented musician, it doesn't mean that their music is interesting.BenoitRouilly wrote: ↑Wed Feb 12, 2020 3:02 pmWhat is your criteria then?Glowingwabbit wrote: ↑Wed Feb 12, 2020 12:57 pmI'm probably in the minority here but "perfectly written and mis-en-scene" doesn't do much for me.
- therewillbeblus
- Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2015 3:40 pm
Re: Asghar Farhadi
About Elly was a fabulous exercise in pacing while unfolding information across a conscientiously withholding narrative. I liked A Separation and The Salesman slightly less but didn't find either particularly novel in their expositions to make them sit with me as something special, but I wouldn't say anything bad about them either.
- BenoitRouilly
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Re: Asghar Farhadi
Then we agree.
I get what you say about the innovation of the others, but in spite of this difference I still believe his storytelling and dramaturgy bring more to cinema.
Kubrick was a "mainstream" genre auteur as well yet was superior to most because of his craft and talent. Farhadi doesn't compare to Kubrick (yet), but it's the same situation. And give him time. Bergman did Persona 20 years into his career...
There is a lot of mixed feelings around here... He's good but not good enough. It's worse than being polarizing.
I wonder what is it you miss in his films that are perfect at doing what they are designed for.
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Re: Asghar Farhadi
I don't think I'm missing anything, I just don't think he's done anything as interesting or radical as the other 3 Iranian directors mentioned.BenoitRouilly wrote: ↑Wed Feb 12, 2020 4:22 pmI wonder what is it you miss in his films that are perfect at doing what they are designed for.
- zedz
- Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 7:24 pm
Re: Asghar Farhadi
I'm also in the "not all that" camp. Farhadi makes the kind of tasteful dramas for middle-class audiences that used to define the 'French Films in Colour' arthouse cliche, but with an Iranian twist. There's nothing wrong with that, and he does it very well, but I just don't find it exciting, just as I don't find Claude Miller or Andre Techine exciting.
I also find that his work has got less interesting and more contrived as it's become more international, in terms of audience, production and content. I feel like he steadily improved over his first three features, then steadily declined thereafter, leaving Fireworks Wednesday as his peak and Beautiful City, About Elly and A Separation as the next best works. And none of his subsequent films are to me even as good as his debut, Dancing in the Dust.
There are a lot of Iranian directors who have done and are still doing much more interesting work, not just the big three / four named in this thread.
I also find that his work has got less interesting and more contrived as it's become more international, in terms of audience, production and content. I feel like he steadily improved over his first three features, then steadily declined thereafter, leaving Fireworks Wednesday as his peak and Beautiful City, About Elly and A Separation as the next best works. And none of his subsequent films are to me even as good as his debut, Dancing in the Dust.
There are a lot of Iranian directors who have done and are still doing much more interesting work, not just the big three / four named in this thread.
- knives
- Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm
Re: Asghar Farhadi
Though I am thankful he's replaced Majid Majidi as the choice for middle class audiences.
- zedz
- Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 7:24 pm
Re: Asghar Farhadi
He's certainly a lot more sophisticated than Majidi.
- furbicide
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Re: Asghar Farhadi
Farhadi's an undeniably excellent director in terms of craft, but it took me a while to figure out what was holding me back from fully embracing his work, and I think it's this: there's something schematic and even manipulative about the way he constructs his narratives, as if the entire story structure had been crafted backwards and everything else were just filling the gaps between key plot points and "twists". It's a pity; his characters are often really well constructed and he's always dealing with deeply interesting themes, but he's playing the same game with the audience every time. I was trying to think of who he reminds me of most in terms of that particular approach to scripting/filmmaking, and I realise it's actually Alan Ball (specifically, American Beauty and Towelhead) – whose work has, I think most people agree, not aged particularly well. I wonder if Farhadi's films will be viewed similarly in the years to come.
- zedz
- Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 7:24 pm
Re: Asghar Farhadi
That's a good observation, and one I thought was particularly true of The Past, a film I found way too contrived and "writerly".