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Terrestrial Verses

Narrative Feature

Farsi
 mins
77

Texas Premiere

In-Person

2023
Iran
Drama

Terrestrial Verses follows everyday people from all walks of life as they navigate the cultural, religious, and institutional constraints imposed on them by various social authorities, from school teachers to bureaucrats. These stirring vignettes, humorous and affecting, capture the spirit and determination of people amidst adversity, offering a nuanced portrait of a complex society.

Cannes Film Festival
BFI London Film Festival
Live, ZOOM Q&A with Filmmaker Alireza Khatami
4/21/24, 2:00 AM
All Badges, Individual Tickets
AFS Cinema

Writers / Directors

Ali Asgari & Alireza Khatami

Ali Asgari is a prominent Iranian cinema figure with more than 200 awards to his name. Two of his short films, More Than Two Hours (2013) and The Silence (2016), were nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Festival de Cannes. The Baby was featured in the short film competition at the Venice Film Festival in 2014. Ali's films focus on the precarious lives of individuals living on the margins of society in his native country, Iran. His debut film, “Disappearance”, was developed at the Cinéfondation Residency of the Festival de Cannes and had its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival in 2017. "Until Tomorrow," his second feature film, at the Berlinale in 2022. Ali is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Alireza is an award-winning Iranian-American filmmaker based in Canada. Born into the indigenous Khamse tribe in Iran, he is influenced by his heritage's rich storytelling traditions. His films poignantly investigate the interconnection of memory, trauma, and power dynamics, often through filmmakers such as Asghar Farhadi. His debut feature, "Oblivion Verses," developed at the Cinéfondation Residency of the Festival de Cannes, premiered at the Venice Film Festival, winning three awards, including the Orizzonti Award for Best Screenplay and the FIPRESCI Prize. Alireza also co-wrote "Until Tomorrow," which premiered at the Berlinale Film Festival. He is currently working on an auto-fictional psychological thriller in Turkey.

Ali Asgari & Alireza Khatami

Director:

Alireza Khatami, Ali Asgari

Writer:

Alireza Khatami, Ali Asgari

Editor:

Ehsan Vaseghi

Producer:

Ali Asgari, Milad Khosravi, Alireza Khatami, Cyrus Neshvad, Reyhaneh Rad

Cast:

Bahram Ark, Arghavan Shabani, Servin Zabetian, Sadaf Asgari, Faezeh Rad, Hossein Soleymani, Majid Salehi, Farzin Mohades, Gouhar Kheir Andish, Ardeshir Kazemi

Crew:

Adib Sobhani, Hamed Aslani, Masoud Fayaz Zadeh

Special thanks to our community partner for this event:
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