No Bears
Jafar Panahi continues to be one of the most daring directors in modern cinema. No Bears sees Panahi venture through a small village on the border of Iran and Turkey, fluidly weaving stories of village romantic drama, remotely directing a movie, and evading the authorities. His kayfabe-like cinematic technique blurring the lines between documentary and narrative kept the tension building over the more intense scenes of filming and smuggling. The film’s also surprisingly funny, especially when the villager’s drama gets involved. Even with Panahi’s restrictions, his creativity shines through, where his humor and joy feel like an act of rebellion. No Bears continues Panahi’s streak of compelling work overcoming the toughest of obstacles.
Jafar Panahi is currently imprisoned after inquiring about the imprisonment of acclaimed filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof. I hope both filmmakers will be released soon.
