Synopsis
Filmfarsi is
Ehsan Khoshbakht’s journey through the history of Iranian popular cinema before the 1979 revolution. The term “
filmfarsi” refers to the rowdy and melodramatic genre films made in Iran from the early 1950s to 1979. This documentary provides a fascinating archaeology of “the biggest secret in cinema history” (Guardian) – a vibrant film culture full of song, dance and sex – and a compelling window into a lost past.
Filmfarsi uncovers a cinema of titillation, action and big emotions, which also presented a troubling mirror for the country, as Iran struggled to reconcile its religious traditions with the turbulence of modernity, and the influences of the West.