FIFF Greatest Iranian Films of All Time - Directors poll
FIFF - History of Iranian Cinema by its Creators
In 2014, the organization of the 28th Fribourg International Film Festival asked 14 Iranian directors to name the best Iranian films. The results are the 27 films on this list.
The participants were Mania Akbari, Kaveh Bakh-tiari, Bahram Beizai, Asghar Farhadi, Sepideh Farsi, Mahmoud Ghaffari, Bahman Ghobadi, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Shahram Mokri, Amir Naderi, Jafar Panahi, Shirin Neshat, Rafi Pitts and Mohammad Rasoulof.
#1: 5 votes
#2-4: 4 votes
#5-7: 3 votes
#8-9: 2 votes
#10-27: 1 vote
In 2014, the organization of the 28th Fribourg International Film Festival asked 14 Iranian directors to name the best Iranian films. The results are the 27 films on this list.
The participants were Mania Akbari, Kaveh Bakh-tiari, Bahram Beizai, Asghar Farhadi, Sepideh Farsi, Mahmoud Ghaffari, Bahman Ghobadi, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Shahram Mokri, Amir Naderi, Jafar Panahi, Shirin Neshat, Rafi Pitts and Mohammad Rasoulof.
#1: 5 votes
#2-4: 4 votes
#5-7: 3 votes
#8-9: 2 votes
#10-27: 1 vote
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27 titles
- DirectorDariush MehrjuiStarsEzzatolah EntezamiMahin ShahabiAli NasirianAn old villager deeply in love with his cow goes to the capital for a while. While he's there, the cow dies and now the villagers are afraid of his possible reaction to it when he returns.
- DirectorSohrab Shahid SalessStarsHedayatollah NavidHibibollah SafarianAne Mohammad TarikhiA small schoolboy lives an austere life with his family in Northern coasts of Iran.
- DirectorSohrab Shahid SalessStarsZadour BonyadiMohammed KaniHedayatollah NavidThe daily life of Mohammad Sardari(Zadour Bonyadi) , a railway switchman on the verge of retirement, who lives with his wife and soldier son near the railway track.
- DirectorAmir NaderiStarsMadjid NiroumandAbbas NazeriMusa TorkizadehAfter enrolling in a school, an impoverished boy finds conflict with his classmates and decides to compete to earn their respect.
- DirectorForugh FarrokhzadStarsForugh FarrokhzadEbrahim GolestanHossein MansouriSet in a leper colony in the north of Iran, The House is Black juxtaposes "ugliness", of which there is much in the world as stated in the opening scenes, with religion and gratitude.
- DirectorKamran ShirdelA documentary which explores what did or did not happen on a rainy night a young boy allegedly saved a train from crashing.
- DirectorAbbas KiarostamiStarsHossain SabzianMohsen MakhmalbafAbolfazl AhankhahThe true story of Hossain Sabzian, a cinephile who impersonated the director Mohsen Makhmalbaf to convince a family they would star in his so-called new film.
- DirectorEbrahim GolestanStarsTaji AhmadiZackaria HashemiGoli BozorgmehrHashem (Zakariya Hashemi) is a cab driver who finds an infant child in the back seat of his cab one night after he gives a ride to a young woman. He and his girlfriend, Taji (Taji Ahmadi), try to cope with this unwanted child. Hashem insists on getting rid of the child, Taji on keeping him.
- DirectorFarokh GhafariStarsFarhang AmiriFarokh GhafariParia HakemiAdapted from a story in 1001 Nights and set in a popular theatre troupe, the story follows the death of an actor in a farcical accident and the brilliantly elaborate gags and misunderstandings that abound in subsequent attempts to dispose of his body.
- DirectorOvanes OhanianStarsHabibollah MoradAsia GhostantinZema OhanianHaji Agha is a traditional man who holds a hostile view of the motion pictures. Unbeknownst to him, his daughter and his son-in-law, Parviz, both are getting trained for acting. Their director is desperately looking for a subject, and Parviz suggest that they follow Haji Agha and clandestinely shoot him. Director likes the idea. Poori, Haji Agha's servant, who is also a member of the acting school snatches Haji Agha's watch. Haji Agha runs after him and the director shoots the following comic and surreal events of this chase...
- DirectorFarokh GhafariStarsFarhang AmiriEbrahim BagheriFarhad EmadEffat tells Mahmoud her life story in order to convince him not to divorce his wife.
- DirectorZackaria HashemiStarsNaser Malek MotieeBahman MofidMorvaridBorzoo is gambling and his wife is not happy with that. Finally he decides not to gamble anymore and takes an oath on himself not to do. But his friend Ali is in desperate need for money for his sister's marriage. Borzoo breaks his oath to gamble once more and brings money for his friend. But this time terrible consequences are waiting for him and other gamblers.
- DirectorParviz KimiaviStarsMohammad Jazayeri TabasAgha Seyed ali Mirza SajadiAn old hermit lives in a slum and wants to teach the alphabet to the children regularly go there to play. What makes the hermit happiest however, is when he comes to the letter P (for "Pedarsag", or "Puppy"). When a child proposes he use the word "Pelican" instead, the hermit goes to the nearby park looking for this animal he has never heard of.
- DirectorBahram BeyzaieStarsParviz FanizadehMohamad Ali KeshavarzJamshid LayeghA well educated and humble teacher arrives in a new city and at a new job in the pre-revolutionary Iran. He falls in love with a hardworking underprivileged young woman that nurses her very old mother and raises her young brother. In an environment where commitments and social problems often stand in the way between people and their dreams.
- DirectorAmir NaderiStarsSaeed RadNuri KasraiEnayat BakhshiNaderi's second film is set in the slums of Tehran. Hanging out in a pool hall, Ali Khoshdast becomes involved in a brawl with three brothers, and accidently kills one of them. He runs for his life, eventually taking refuge in the home of a young woman. The victim's brothers continue the chase, and finally close in on him. Following the murder, streets, alleys and houses that were all part of Ali's everyday world suddenly become dangerous and hostile. Although in many ways a classic tale of revenge, Naderi uses this story to imply that an underlying violence pervades society, ready to burst forth with or without justification.
- DirectorAbbas KiarostamiStarsMasud ZandbeglehHassan DarabiMostafa TariA grade-school-age boy, neglected by his parents, lies, cheats, and steals to accumulate enough money to afford a bus ride to a large city and a ticket to see his favorite soccer team play.
- DirectorFereydun GoleStarsBehrouz VossoughiDavoud RashidiReza Karam RezaiRecently have been released from jail, Ebi makes a bet with his Friend that he goes and drinks in seven bars without even paying any money.
- DirectorParviz KimiaviStarsDarvish Khan EsfandiarpoorDarvish Khan a deaf and mute man who is a shepherd lives with his family in the desert. One day when sleeping in the desert he has a strange dream. When awake he finds a stone and carry it home and hangs it on a tree. Little by little he finds more stones carry them and hanging them on the trees until his garden of stones is becomes famous absorbing people from all around.
- DirectorBahram BeyzaieStarsSusan TaslimiMehdi HashemiMahmoud BehrouzianDeath of Yazdgerd is the story of death of the last king of Iran before Muslims invade Iran. He escapes to city of Marv and hides in a mill but finally gets killed. The Story is told by the miller, his wife and his daughter but all the stories are different from each other.
- DirectorAbbas KiarostamiStarsBabek Ahmed PoorAhmed Ahmed PoorKhodabakhsh DefaeiEight-year-old Ahmed has mistakenly taken his friend Mohammad's notebook. He wants to return it, or else his friend will be expelled from school. The boy determinedly sets out to find Mohammad's home in the neighbouring village.
- DirectorAmir NaderiStarsMadjid NiroumandA young teenager returns home after an absence to find his village in Iran deserted because of an incredibly severe drought. He begins a search to find his family, traveling through an amazingly bleak and desolate landscape. Primarily an essay on the issue of humans vs. nature, the film is of interest for technical and cultural reasons.
- DirectorDariush MehrjuiStarsKhosro ShakibaiEzzatolah EntezamiHossein SarsharHamoon's wife is leaving him. He is also unsuccessfully trying to finish his Ph. D. thesis. He is forced to reexamine his life. In a series of flashbacks and dreams, Hamoon tries to figure out what he did wrong.
- DirectorMohsen MakhmalbafStarsShaghayeh DjodatHossein MoharamiRogheih MoharamiWhen an old couple washes their gabbeh - a type of Persian rug - a young woman magically appears and tells them her life story.
- DirectorParviz ShahbaziStarsMansour ShahbaziMaryam PalizbanSaid AminiThis is about two guys who are departed from their family in totally different ways, they are anti social and try to live in a large city without any money, one of them fall in love and another one got addicted.
- DirectorSaman SalurStarsMohsen TanabandehNader FallahMohsen NamjooTwo desperate men watching a wrecked petrol station for government, whilst looking for their strange loves.
- DirectorAsghar FarhadiStarsPayman MaadiLeila HatamiSareh BayatA married couple are faced with a difficult decision - to improve the life of their child by moving to another country or to stay in Iran and look after a deteriorating parent who has Alzheimer's disease.