Terrestrial Verses (Persian: آیه های زمینی) is a 2023 Iranian film written and directed by Ali Asgari and Alireza Khatami.
It had its world premiere at the Un Certain Regard section of the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, on 23 May 2023. The film also had theatrical release in France, where it achieved approximately 100,000 admissions.
Synopsis The film contains nine vignettes in which ordinary Iranian citizens struggle against the power of religiously-guided authoritarianism in everyday situations.
Cast
Sadaf Asgari as Sadaf Bahram Ark as Bahram Ardeshir Kazemi as 100-year-old man Gohar Kheirandish as Mehri Farzin Mohades as Ali Faezeh Rad as Faezeh Majid Salehi as Siamak Hossein Soleimani as Farbod Akhtari Sarvin Zabetian as Aram Arghavan Shabani as Selena
Production Asgari and Khatami worked on the script together, but had difficulty finding a producer and ultimately produced the film at their own expense with financial support from friends. The film was then shot within seven days.Alireza Khatami und Ali Asgari, Irdische Verse Kunst und Film, retrieved 23 April 2024.
Release The film premiered on May 23, 2023, in Cannes, after which it was shown on October 4, 2023, at the BFI Film Festival in London, on October 19, 2023, in the USA during the Chicago International Film Festival and at other international film festivals. The cinema release in Germany was April 11, 2024.Irdische Verse berlin.de, retrieved 22 April 2024.
Reception Critical response On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 96% based on 28 reviews, with an average rating of 7.8/10. On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 83 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
Awards
The film won both the Grand Prix and the FIPRESCI Award at 2024 Luxembourg City Film Festival.
References
External links
Variety Review The Hollywood Reporter Review