Cinema Rex - Iranian Cinema Podcast

In the Iranian ghost-town Bad City, a place that reeks of death and loneliness, the townspeople are unaware they are being stalked by a lonesome vampire. Directed by Ana Lily Amirpour. This film is available for digital rental and purchase in the U.S, U.K. and Canada.

Our first Halloween Special! As a mother and daughter struggle to cope with the terrors of the post-revolution, war-torn Tehran of the 1980s, a mysterious evil begins to haunt their home. Directed by Babak Anvari. This movie can be found on Netflix in most territories.

A boat drifts onto the shore of a small village, which the beautiful Rana hopes the has brought back her husband, who disappeared a year ago out on the sea. But the only passenger is Ayat, a wounded stranger with no memory of how he ended up in this land. After gradually proving himself as a member of the community, Ayat  grows increasingly paranoid about wraiths from a forgotten past.   Directed by Bahram Beyzaie

When he takes a job as a schoolteacher in a new neighborhood, the hapless intellectual Mr. Hekmati finds that he is a fish out of water. Directed by Bahram Beyzaie

In a building site in present-day Tehran, Lateef, a 17-year-old Azeri worker is irresistibly drawn to Rahmat, a young Afghan worker. The revelation of Rahmat's secret changes both of their lives. Directed by Majid Majidi.

Leila, who has spent her entire life caring for her family, hatches a plan to help her struggling brothers - but she might have to cross her parents to do it. Directed by Saeed Roustayi. This movie can be found in select local cinemas.

A blind woman's daughter befriends a famous singer who decides to help them in life, but unbeknownst to either party, is how they're all truly connected... Directed by Mohamad Ali Fardin. This movie can be found on DVD through Pars Video, and on YouTube.

The four stories that are variations on the crucial themes of moral strength and the death penalty that ask to what extent individual freedom can be expressed under a despotic regime and its seemingly inescapable threats. Directed by Mohammad Rasoulof. This movie can be found on Apple TV in the USA.

The struggle of women in a country that excludes them from entering stadiums. This episode also features an interview with Morvarid Sadinejad Directed by Jafar Panahi. This movie can be found on Apple TV in Canada, as well as Prime and Apple TV in the USA.

An American woman trapped in Islamic Iran by her brutal husband must find a way for her and her daughter to escape. This film is available to view on Prime Video.

An Iranian boy is lost after fleeing home for his life; his family has been killed during the Iran-Iraq war. He's saved and trained by a middle-aged woman. This episode also features an interview with Alex Eskandarkhah with the Collective for Black Iranians.   Directed by Bahram Beyzaie. This movie can be found on YouTube.

An Iranian man drives his car in search of someone who will quietly bury him under a cherry tree after he takes his own life. Directed by Abbas Kiarostami   This film is available through the Criterion Channel

Follows a chaotic, tender family that is on a road trip across a rugged landscape and fussing over the sick dog and getting on each others' nerves. Only the mysterious older brother is quiet. Directed by Panah Panahi.   This film is available through Prime Video in Canada, Pramount+, Apple TV+ and Showtime in the USA, and Channel 4 in the UK.

Set in a leper colony in the north of Iran, The House is Black juxtaposes "ugliness", of which there is much in the world as stated in the opening scenes, with spirituality and gratitude. Directed by Forough Farrokhzad. This film is available through the Criterion Channel.

Rahmat has been asked to meet the inhabitants of these islands to collect their tears. Although for years people have been giving their tears to Rahmat, no one knows exactly what he has been doing with them. Directed by Mohammad Rasoulof. This film is available to view on YouTube.

The classic Iranian comedy about a villager named Samad in his first theatrical foray, as he faces off against a team of gangsters who attempt to steal a priceless artifact from his girlfriend, Leila. Written, directed by and starring the illustrious maestro of Iranian cinema, Parviz Sayyad. The movie is available for viewing on YouTube.

A depiction of the off-screen relationship between the actors who play the newlyweds in the film And Life Goes On (1992). Directed by Abbas Kiarostami. This film is available through Criterion

Two teachers in attempt to recruits wandering Kurdish refugees as their pupils, after the chemical bombing of Halabja by Saddam Hussein's Iraq during the Iran–Iraq War. Directed by Samira Makhmalbaf.

A journalist named Behzad, travels from Tehran to a rural Kurdish village to covertly cover the vigil for a dying elder.

Based on a best selling video game franchise, young fugitive prince and princess must stop a villain who unknowingly threatens to destroy the world with a special dagger that enables the magic sand inside to reverse time. This film is available on Disney+

Considered by many to be the most famous puppet show for children and all ages. City of Mice (Shahr-e Mooshha) tells the story of a town full of anthropomorphic mice who have to pack their belongings and quickly evacuate their town once news has spread of a wild cat who has arrived and wants to eat them up. The story centres mostly around the students of a shared classroom lead by their loyal teacher. While on their journey, the mice encounter dangerous obstacles and strange allies all while being tracked down by the nefarious cat hot on their tails. (Marzieh Boroomand & Mohammad Ali Talebi, 1986) Available to watch for free on YouTube.

Based on a story from One Thousand and One Nights, and set in a popular theatre troupe; the story follows the death of an actor, who is killed by two of his colleagues in an accidental, farcical bout of horseplay, and the brilliantly elaborate gags and misunderstandings that abound in subsequent attempts to dispose of his body in this ensemble comedy.

A married couple Nader and Simin are faced with a difficult decision - to improve the life of their child by moving to another country or to stay in Iran and look after a deteriorating parent who has Alzheimer's disease. After hiring a young woman to take care of his father, a difficult situation snowballs and Nader finds himself entangled in a web of lies, manipulation and public confrontations. (Asghar Farhadi, 2011) Available for rent on Amazon Prime and Youtube.

A director and his son return to a region damaged by the Guilan earthquake, hoping to find the children who appeared in his film a few years earlier. (Abbas Kiarostami, 1992) - The film can be watched on the Criterion Channel with subtitles, and on YouTube without subtitles.

Based on the true story of Iranian's infamous 'Spider Killer', a journalist descends into the dark underbelly of the Iranian holy city of Mashhad as she investigates the serial killings of sex workers by the so called "Spider Killer", who believes he is cleansing the streets of sinners, (Ali Abbasi, 2022). Available for rent on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, MUBI and streaming on Netflix(US)

An old villager, Masht Hassan, deeply in love with his cow goes to the capital for a while. When he is away, his cow dies. Knowing the relationship between Masht Hassan and his cow, the villagers hastily dispose the corpse, and when Masht Hassan comes back, they tell him that his cow ran away. Masht Hassan is devastated, he starts to spend all his time in the barn, eating hay, and slowly believes that he is the cow. (Dariush Mehrjui, 1969) Available on MUBI and Youtube.

Shot in secrecy while Panahi serves a ban on making films imposed by the Islamic Republic of Iran. No Bears tells two parallel love stories in which the partners are thwarted by hidden, inevitable obstacles, the force of superstition, and the mechanics of power. (Jafar Panahi, 2022). Available on Criterion Channel.

The Deer is a typical Kimiai-style tale of friendship and honour. When a good man fallen on hard times meets his erstwhile protégé, fate puts their relationship to the ultimate test: will you die for me? (Masud Kimiai, 1974) The Deer can be seen on YouTube - unfortunately no subtitles are provided.

Eight-year-old Ahmed has mistakenly taken his friend Mohammad's notebook. He wants to return it, or else his friend will be expelled from school. The boy determinedly sets out to find Mohammad's home in the neighbouring village. (Abbas Kiarostami, 1987) - The film can be watched on the Criterion Channel with subtitles, or on Youtube without.