3 Faces

«I've always dreamed of being an actress.»

It is a road movie basically all about people talking and wandering, with a particular camera focus on Nature and the simplicity of life. In this kind of fashion, it constantly resembles the late Abbas Kiarostami's metafictional style: the director, Panahi, pays homage to his compatriot, elaborating on very similar scenes - note to Taste of Cherry (1997) & Through the Olive Trees (1994) -, camera angles, themes and issues. He also works with non-professional actors, except for Behnaz Jafari and himself, who both play themselves, choosing not to credit his alter ego to another person, in contrast only in this last chapter with what Kiarostami would do. Based in a simple, but effective story, it works as Iran's self-portrait, exposing its religious, oppressive, sexist and misogynist traditions. Saying that, (NOT ONLY) in the movie, there's an urgency about mentioning women's role in Iranian society. The director's sense of humanity is so bright that he tackles this worrying subjects tracing a very thin line between a very fine humour and deep seriousness. Suicide is also a subject, but sadly gets somehow lost on the way. As a social commentary that lies on the plot's outcome to declare a "victory", audiences may not comprehend it at the end or even feel unrewarded, but I assure you: it's all there.

Cinema Trindade