this is the film that started portraying the true face of Iran,s horrific Regime to the world.the man behind it all went through some incredible situations himself for having dared to have made an extraordinary film about political prisoners inside Iran,s prisons. he was kidnapped by agents loyal to the Iran,s regime, right after this movie was screened. it is unfortunate and sad to know now that all other Iranian directors had done in was only to show a facade and the world of films and festivals went along with that artificial world of films from Iran and about Iran for over 32 years by honoring these state backed directors and films while none ever showed the reality of all what disasters went on inside Iran for all this time. well, here is this episode of a bitter tale that shows us in a most daring raw manner what a movie could or should do when it comes to dealing with human lives. no arts, no abstraction, no symbolism, but showing what the raw,truth is all about. getting to the point and no hanky panky as usual. shokof goes right to the core of the matter and makes perhaps the most historic film ever about Iran,s present dark days and horrors that one can seriously would have to vomit sitting through the whole movie unless you are dedicated to see how it all ends? one is puzzled how shokof was kidnapped for having made the film and again freed not to ever release it and then see the film on the world net for free and the man is still alive and continues to slander this ultra inhumane Regime anytime he gets the chance to do so?! i watched this movie to the end and would have to admit that it finally opened my eyes to the truth about Islamic Republic of Iran which was hidden under pile of lies with participation of the whole world of festivals , movies, governments and............... for over 30 years. Iran Zendan is now stamped as the first film ever to have shown the brutality of a totalitarian Regime and brings shame to the faces of all those who went along with the regime (all over the world) and more so those who thereafter still tried to block it from any exhibitions in any festivals world wide. daryush shokof,s attempt and achievement is for me an eternal 10 not just for portrayal of Iran,s situation but that of the whole world,s political prisoners who all have the same fate. we all seem to have just ignored the facts and continue to insult great people on earth by still wanting dialog with such vicious animalistic Regimes. daryush shokof made it a global honor to release such a movie free of charge so that the whole world could see how it was made,why it was made and when should we all start doing all we can so such animal behaviors do not exist amongst human tribes any longer. i am honored to have lived long enough to have finally seen a movie that showed me we are still many who belong to the stone ages and the laws it used to have.
