Tatami

Long moments at the start of the movie are spent showing a bus ride. I think the idea is to set the bar low where thrills are concerned. The photography is in black and white, the aspect ratio is not wide, and for most of the movie everything is in shadows. Very dark, at least as screened at my local theater.

And there are only two major characters. One is a serious athlete out to follow her dream at all costs, even if her family life suffers somewhat. The motif is familiar from any number of biopics, but here it's overlaid by another priority that the athlete defies: She's Iranian and she dares to disobey her government. Her courage is a big element of the movie, so there's a second character, her trainer, who embodies the conflict, wondering what the right thing to do really is.

The sport involved is judo, and the heroine is being asked to take a fall in order not to have to compete against an Israeli. Something like that actually happened, but this isn't a retelling of the actual story. It might have more impact if it were, because as is the movie is incessantly telling us how evil an authoritarian government is from the writer's point of view, rather than letting us figure it out from true-life facts.

A judo match, however you photograph it, is unfortunately not easy to follow. The movie provides a sports commentator on the scene, whose voice-over helps us out somewhat. A mystery I never did solve is the timing of the dreaded match against the Israeli. The Iranians pressure their contestant as if it's coming up right away, but it turns out not to be the next match. How are these things decided? If you never know when your opponent is going to be an Israeli, why did the Iranians send her to the competition in the first place?

Before you can think too much about that, though, the movie sweeps you along-- as relentless as its heroine. And if there are no blue skies or comic relief or rooftop chases, you don't miss them.

This is determination: you're competing in the World Judo Championships. You go to the weigh-in and find you're .3 kg over. Leila Hosseini (Arienne Mandi), the Iranian national champion, has 20 minutes to lose the extra weight. By pedaling furiously on a stationary bike, she manages that, plus a few additional ounces. The National Team's coach, Ms. Maryam Ghanbari (Zar Amir), has been in Leila's corner for years, pushing her successfully onward, and looks on proudly.

At the start of the third match, the Iranian Judo Association phones Ghanbari and orders her to have Hosseini throw her next fight. The political implications that she might possibly face the Israeli opponent, her friend, and lose to her in the finals, would disgrace Iran and the Supreme Leader won't stand for that.

Hosseini stands her ground. She's adamant that she deserves to win a gold medal, for herself, her family and her country. Yet she fears disobeying because it will certainly endanger her entire family.

Ghanbari has personally been down this road before, having her life controlled by the Islamic government. She's wound tightly, always touching her hijab, nervously checking to make sure not a single stray hair protrudes. The Supreme Leader of Iran goes so far as having Ghanbari's mother call to insist she tell Hosseini throw the match. This is what living under an oppressive regime means - total control.

Tatami is more than a movie about judo - it's a complex political thriller about facing down an insidious, oppressive government and saying 'no more'. Fighting for your life. Finding support when it's most needed, from like-minded individuals. The photography and lighting are used evocatively. Shot in black and white, the camera gets right into the faces, hands and feet of the combatants. The purposely ironic scripting of the commentator's observations mirrors the life-defining choices made by Hosseini.

The first feature film co-directed by Iranian and Israeli filmmakers Guy Nattiv and Zar Amir Ebrahimi, and an official selection of several international film festivals, Tatami is showing in select theaters.

We are in the Olympic year and season, and 'Tatami' (2023) directed by Zar Amir Ebrahimi and Guy Nattiv is the right movie for this season. It can be said that the (Olympic) spirit of sport and the relationship between sport and politics is at the heart of this film. It is a film by and about sports and it is also a political thriller, but above all it is a film about courage. The courage of women who fight to win what for their contemporaries in other countries is something natural - the freedom to be who they are and to live as they want, to compete in sports outside any political constraints and discrimination of any kind and to win when they are the best. I took the risk of missing part of the opening festivities of the Olympics to watch the film and I did not regret the decision, because 'Tatami' fascinated me and kept me nailed in my seat from the first to the last minute of viewing.

Leila Hosseini is an Iranian judoka competing for her country at the World Championships in Tbilisi. Maryam is her coach, a former performance judoka who almost won a medal at the Olympics but had to drop out of the competition to avoid facing an athlete from Israel. The same thing is happening to Leila now. She's in great shape and moving up through the competition, but so is an Israeli opponent with whom Leila has a friendly rivalry. As the chances of the two women meeting in the final stages of the competition increase, history seems to be repeating itself. Iran's Judo Association and the politicians behind it are asking the athlete and her coach to fake a medical problem in order to drop out of the competition. Leila refuses, despite the fact that her family (who supports her) is under threat back home in Iran. Maryam hesitates. If Leila continues, there is no turning back, she will be forced to take the road of exile.

Sports sequences and scenes in the locker and training rooms of the competition alternate at a fast pace. We watch the fights on the tatami and we admire the huge physical and concentration efforts that the athletes have to invest in order to reach the top. At the same time, political and personal drama develop. For Zar Amir Ebrahimi this is a first feature film that she is directing, together with the Israeli Guy Nattiv. She also plays the role of Maryam, and together with Arienne Mandi, who plays the role of Leila, creates two memorable portraits of brave and dignified women who face a dictatorial regime in their desire to represent their country in the competition with dignity and sportsmanship. Chosing exile is an extremely difficult decision and Zar Amir Ebrahimi, who had to make it herself years ago, knows the dilemmas very well. In addition to well-known Iranian filmmakers who create in their country under conditions that are sometimes very difficult, Iranian cinema in exile manages, through international co-productions like this one, to offer another facet of Iranian film art. 'Tatami' is an excellent political and psychological thriller and a wonderful film about courage and dignity.

... to fight? No parties to be found here (well political ones maybe) ... so no pun intended as always. I read a bit after I watched the movie and it seems this is not a real story overall, but the gist of it, the main points it brings across ... well they are more than true. Even more so for the trainer actress/character ... who seems to have had trouble with her country ... never a nice feeling if you want to call it that.

It it quite harrowing to really want to keep your spirits up ... to want to succeed for your country ... and the country constantly failing you ... more than that to be honest ... but you have to watch this quite harrowing movie to get what it does ... and where it goes ... the human will never dies ... but it can break .. will it happen here? And what does it mean for freedom and choosing your own destiny ... this is powerful stuff ... and it does not take prisoners ... literally ... well sort of. Well worth a watch to say the least.

When I started watching Tatami, I thought I knew what to expect. It felt like it might be a documentary, straightforward and predictable. But soon, the film surprised me, and its tone shifted to something intense and powerful. I quickly felt the characters' restrictions, especially how trapped the main character, Leila, was. The square aspect ratio-which I found odd at first-ended up being the perfect choice. It made the story feel tight and confined, letting me feel every bit of tension. I started noticing every shot and angle, each one adding to the atmosphere.

The movie gave me a new perspective on the struggles these athletes face. It's sad to think about, and it's even sadder to know that, whether it's just as we see in the film or what we sometimes see on the news, people actually live like this. It's heartbreaking how communities can be torn apart by politics and control. The film touched me deeply, exposing the sickness of a system that can manipulate and break people for its own ends.

It's a shame Tatami hasn't gotten more attention. With its unique style and powerful story, it deserves to be seen by more people. It isn't just a movie; it's a look into the lives of people whose stories often go unheard.