Review of This Is Not a Film (2011) by Edwin P — 04 Oct 2013
The plight of Iranian filmmakers has been well documented. Iranian directors who have successfully made their mark worldwide include, among others, Abbas Kiarostami and Asghar Farhadi whose "A Separation" was one of 2011's best films.
This film was smuggled out of Iran in a flash drive hidden inside a birthday cake with a special screening held at the Cannes Film Festival. To a certain extent, it works as a protest film against censorship and a system that has landed its director, Jafar Panahi, six years in prison, a 20-year ban from filmmaking and labeled "enemy of the state".
While it may work as a protest film, at 75 minutes, it still drags and can barely be considered a documentary. It is not the provocative piece of art one would hope that makes a forceful, pointed statement and a serious indictment of the establishment to which it is specifically aimed at.
This review of This Is Not a Film (2011) was written by Edwin P on 04 Oct 2013.
This Is Not a Film has generally received positive reviews.
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