This Is Not a Film (2011) User Reviews

Whether it's a film or not is irrelevant, it's a fantastic comment on the state of Iranian democracy

[octopusluke · 8/10 · 6 December 2012]

This Is Not A Film comes to audiences already with a high level of notoriety. The famous film behind "cakegate", it's constricted production meant that the film was distributed out of Iran on a USB stick concealed inside a birthday cake. It's the kind of screwball scenario you might find on a Judd Apatow movie, but This Is Not A Film is no laughing matter. As the title would assume, this is not so much of a film as it is a film exorcism.

Whilst under house arrest, and pursuing an appeal against a six year prison sentence and 20 year ban from directing, esteemed Iranian auteur Jafar Panahi (The Mirror, Crimson Gold) invites fellow filmmaker Mojtaba Mirtahmasb into his home to crudely document a day in his tormented life.

Shot on a digicam and later an iPhone, we follow Panahi shuffling around his apartment, feeding his daughter's pet iguana, paying the delivery boy for takeaway food, and calling his tenacious attorney trying to get him out of house arrest. At first, it's a minor study of segregation and loneliness, but This Is Not a Film is at it's most enthralling when Panahi expresses his natural directing flare; acting out his latest screenplay from the (dis)comfort of his family living room, discussing camera angles to the most minute detail, and reflecting on how he managed to reach such a raw level of intimacy in his previous works. Whether you are aware of his filmography or not, it's clear that Panahi is an exuberant cinephile, which makes his current, and ongoing battles with the government even more distressing.

If you were forced to judge this meta-commentary diatribe, one could suggest that Panahi and Mirtahmasb fail to present a bigger picture on the crisis of the state's dominance over artistic intent. Similarly to 2006′s female equality drama Offside, This is Not a Film is incredibly subtle with it's political allegories, bordering on the coyly parabolic. Instead of presenting a bigger, ultimately more controversial picture on the crisis of state dominance in the creative industries, Panahi and Mirtahmasb reach a palpable level of verisimilitude in the very smallness of the situation. It all comes together in a final twenty minute sequence where Panahi falls behind the camera and back into storyteller mode (it could cost him his life, but he can't help it). He follows a young dustman around the apartment block and asking him what his plans for the future will be. The cordial apprentice is unsure, but it's hopefully going to be a life less frightening than the one Panahi has been dealt.

This Is Not A Film concludes with harrowing sentiment. With the sound of New Years' Eve fireworks and cheering in the background, the screen fades to black, with the credits and special thanks nods are left blank, followed by a final frame that sets out a humble dedication to all Iranian filmmakers. It may be a non-film but, whatever it is, it's certainly a riveting watch; and has rightly earned a place in the Oscars' documentary award shortlist.

Here in the Western world, our access to information, democratic governments and human rights mean that cinema is taken for granted, and filmmakers have it easy. Whilst we bemoan the extortionate prices of popcorn, Panahi and Mirtahmasb are putting their lives on the line to tell the stories they feel they must tell, in the hope that, one day, their nation will be able to have the same sort of pro-democratic freedom as the rest of us.

www.366movies.com

Fascinating in how storytelling through film is unintentionally broken down and laid out.

[Sergeant_Tibbs · 8/10 · 26 June 2013]

I have not seen any of Jafar Panahi's films. I've heard of Crimson Gold through the iconic image on the DVD cover but otherwise I'm not aware of his style. This Is Not A Film would be a great introduction as the filmmaker himself compares how he feels to the characters he created 10 years prior and analyses his own style of filmmaking. As someone who is interested in making films, this is a really fascinating documentary. Essentially a home video turned into a film, where its shown in the film itself when they decided to turn it into a film, it unintentionally breaks down storytelling and storytelling methods as Panahi demonstrates a film idea he has in a pitch like process to the point where he questions why we even need the medium of film. The raw emotion in this doc is compelling despite the fact not a lot happens within its 77 minute running time. In the end, you come to know Panahi and his culture more intimately and it's fascinating how his unintentional documentary style is similar to his fiction filmmaking style, especially with an ending that makes your heart skip a beat. I'll contradict the title, this is one hell of a film.

8/10

This risky gutsy non-violent protest movie paid off, big time for the director. Not so much, for the viewers. It was alright for the most part.

[ironhorse_iv · 7/10 · 24 September 2015]

This Iranian documentary directed by Jafar Panahi & Mojtaba Mirtahmasb has a very interesting & complex, backstory behind it. After several years of conflict with the Iranian government over the content of his films, the government arrested Jafar Panahi in March 2010, with charges of propaganda against the Iranian government when they find out that Jafar Panahi was trying to make a documentary about the Green Movement protesters. Despite support from filmmakers, film organizations, and human rights organizations from around the world, in December of that year, Panahi was sentenced to a six-year jail sentence and a 20-year ban on directing any movies, writing screenplays, giving any form of interview with Iranian or foreign media, or from leaving the country except for medical treatment or making the Hajj pilgrimage. After a short jail time, he was released from prison, and order by the courts, to stay in his house for the rest of his sentence. While awaiting the result of an appeal of his house arrest, he secretly made, this 2011 documentary, 'This Is Not a Film', showing the troubles, he been having, since being sentence with house arrest in the form of a video diary. He did all this in spite of the legal ramifications of his arrest. It was smuggled out of Iran in a flash drive hidden inside a cake and shown at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival. I'm deeply surprise that this movie even got shown in the Cannes Film Festival in 2011. I'm more astonish, that Jafar Panahi got away with it, and didn't get into much trouble for pulling that stunt. You would think, that they would put him, back into jail. I guess, the Iranian government didn't want to drag this, issue out any longer, because it was making them, look bad, in the eyes of the Western World. By the early 2010's, the harsh antics of then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was dying down, and Iran was looking for reform with civil rights charter Hassan Rouhani, in hope to restore the economy of Iran and improve rocky relations with Western nations. They didn't want, the Jafar Panahi issue to be overblown, so instead of more punishment, Jafar Panahi been allowed to move more freedom. While, Panahi is still banned from making films, he still somewhat able to get his films made. In 2013 & 2015, he got two films made with the help of his family members & friends. It's clear, that the government isn't enforcing this unwritten law. For safety reasons, in this film, Mojtaba Mirtahmasb did much of the filming. Since, it had to be made quickly, the movie doesn't no linear narrative, no talking heads and no interviews. It doesn't even much of anything of a story. For any viewer that isn't familiar to what Panahi is going, trough. This documentary makes a hard-watch. After all, it just shows Panahi doing mundane stuff with his pet, Iguana. It might be too boring. For any viewers, that know a little amount of Panahi. It looks like a masterpiece, because it shows how bored and desperate, Panahi has been since this verdict may mean his artistic death. For me, it was alright for the most part. I was always curious about, his previous films and how people can live, under a harsh totalitarianism government. I think the best thing about the film is showcasing the ancient Iranian festival of Chaharshanbe Suri that precedes the Persian New Year and how young people are rebelling, by shooting outlawed fireworks. I never heard of the holiday, before seeing this film. My least favorite part is the chat with the trash collector. It was way too claustrophobic, unclear and hand-on for me. The only thing, I can nitpick, is how the film, could have service the people, of Iran, a lot more, instead of himself. Don't get me wrong, I love that this film is a good example of an open letter for free expression in Iran, but it's a far cry, from anything he done, before it. His style of neorealism within the Iranian New Wave film movement is memorable. The way he mix real time events with storytelling is rich in poetry and painterly images. Sadly, this movie doesn't show, any of that. It's a noble venture, but it felt like a selfish self-promotion, for Panahi. He talks more about his previous movies and his problems, more than anything else in the film. While, his action to film, himself is brave; it felt like, it's not that strong of a statement. His punishment isn't that harsh, compare to other people, who did far, little, against the government. He doesn't rant in the film about the cruelty of the government or how other people got it worst. It felt like a 'look, at what they are doing to me, please solve it' vanity project, than anything else. This is so unlike, his previous works, which gave a voice to the voiceless. Overall: Portraying a normal typical day of his life isn't as strong, as showing how other people freedoms are being trampled on. It's still a must-watch, but the movie could had better.

Beethovenian

[p_radulescu · 10/10 · 24 May 2011]

Iranian director Jafar Panahi is one of world's most important movie makers nowadays, while also a victim of the oppressive regime in his country. Arrested, together with other artists, during the events following the Iranian presidential elections in 2009, he spent several months in prison. He was freed then on bail while the judicial procedure against him was going on. Mr. Panahi was eventually sentenced to 6 years of prison and 20 years ban to make movies.

It was during the period spent at home in 2010 that Jafar Panahi made this movie, with the title This is Not a Film (In Film Nist). A friend, documentary producer Mojtaba Mirtahmasb (the author of Lady of the Roses, 2008), came with a consumer-grade camera and shot the footage for a 75 minutes video, having Mr. Panahi as co-director, screenwriter, film editor and star. The video was eventually smuggled outside Iran on a flash drive and screened at the 2011 Cannes Festival.

It's just that: 75 minutes in a day spent by Jafar Panahi at home, waiting for the result of the trial. He talks to the phone with his lawyer, then feeds his pet (who is a very nice iguana), then talks with the cameraman shooting the footage about a project for a new film, rejected by the censorship, memories from some of his movies come and go, suddenly a terrible noise of explosions is heard - it's nothing than fireworks, and Mr. Panahi goes to the window to shoot them with his cell phone.

A movie that is not a movie, says Mr. Panahi. It's just mundane reality. Well, it's not that simple: this movie is a non-movie while this non-movie is a movie. Because it's his reality, his universe, which is sending us to the universe of his movies. All his movies talk actually about him, about his universe, and it becomes obvious here, in this non-movie which carries all the tension between image and reality - reality sublimated in cinematic image. Like Mozart, this moviemaker thinks only in artistic constructions. For Mozart any fact of life was musical sound, musical rhythm, for Panahi every fact of life is cinematic image, cinematic rhythm. Look, even his concerns for the sentence to come become art! However, the strongest association should be made to Beethoven! This moviemaker carries all the tension between reality and art, all his creation is fully aware of the paradoxical relationship between reality and art: reality mirrored in art, art mirrored in reality, art suffering that reality struggles to keep its autonomy, reality suffering that it is taken for art.

If not a film, then truly a beautiful poem.

[jakobmyrhoj · 9/10 · 6 November 2011]

I saw this film (or not film, if you want..) at the CPH DOX festival yesterday and was spellbound by it. All reviews I have read, have focused on the political circumstances, and the fact that director Jafar Panahi has been blacklisted and sentenced by the Iranian government. I think many of these reviews focus too little on the beauty, warmth and wonderfully subtle message of this film, or the fresh and uplifting honesty and awareness of its cinematic language. To me the most important and moving aspects of this film, is found in the beauty of its atmosphere. In Panahis search for truth and honesty. In its daring and courageous will to let circumstances and coincidence be the writer and director. In its warm, original and surprisingly humorous form. The way the film evolves trough coincidence and the power of circumstance, it itself becomes a beautiful image of Mr. Panahis situation, and by doing that, it becomes a reflection on any persons situation, a reflection on existence itself. Dealing with society, suppression, creativity, filmmaking, human interaction, kindness and honesty I would find it difficult to explain what the film is actually about. Most of all its much more a poetic journey, than a political statement. If it is a statement its a statement of the humane. I understand why some will be bored watching this small, slow, quiet film. Any viewer will have to put himself in a state of slow enjoyment to really benefit from it. But it is absolutely worth it. To me one of the great achievements Mirtahmasb and Panahi makes here, is the fact that they made me feel, think and reflect more by watching two guys filming each other, than any million budget Hollywood movie has ever done. The self aware style of this film worked like a wake up call for me, making it so much stronger.

If you can relate to topics like: filmmaking, art, inspiration or problems connected to being a living being in the world, I highly recommend this. My best wishes for Mr. Panahi, and congratulations with the achievement.

Revealing inside view in Iranian apartment of a film maker, confined to his home while awaiting an appeal. Though not really boring, don't expect much action

[JvH48 · 23 October 2011]

I saw "This Is Not A Film" as part of the Ghent filmfestival 2011. Originally the film "Absolutely Tame Is A Horse" of the same director was scheduled. It had to be replaced in the last minute, due to an export ban on the film itself, plus the Iranian distributor loosing his license.

Nearly all 75 minutes that the replacement film takes, are shot within the apartment of the director in question. He is not allowed to make films, but nowhere was forbidden to read a screenplay aloud. On the other hand, as correctly noted by the camera man, recording this reading might still be considered film making. Hence he named this film "This Is Not A film", which may or may not help to evade the issue.

There were fireworks, which we saw announced on TV as non-religious, a different word for Not Allowed. Yet we clearly saw and heard fireworks on several places spread over the neighborhood. Could this be construed as some not-so-silent protest?? We felt a volatile atmosphere around these fireworks, albeit in an indirect way, because everyone seemed worried about their kids and relatives coming home in time. Moreover, when he was talking on the phone with a colleague who was underway, the latter had to discontinue abruptly when stopped by the police. This very apparently was cause for alarm. Later on he phoned back, and reassured us that the police only wanted to check his camera, lying unused on the passenger seat. All such signals combined clearly demonstrated an atmosphere of suppression and fear for the police.

I was prejudiced by some reviews I've read, describing this not-a-film as a bit boring. Having seen it, I found that too harsh. It may apply to the elevator scene, but that was neatly broken up in small scenes providing for some diversion. Within the apartment, a nice intermezzo was created by a pet lizard. It was being fed in the beginning, and then disappeared out of sight for a while. Later on we saw it crawling over our main character (complaining about its sharp nails) and over the couch, to eventually find a resting place in the bookshelves.

Throughout the film I was surprised that someone convicted for 6 years in prison, and a ban to make films for 20 years, was not locked up, but instead having some house arrest while awaiting an appeal. It clearly shows that I know nothing about the Iranian judicial system. Especially, as we learned from a phone call with his attorney, that his conviction was not on a legal basis, but on political grounds only. The latter is a concept very alien to us.

All in all, this not-a-film gave a limited inside view in a country we only know from newspapers. It was also a revealing inside view in an Iranian apartment, larger and better equipped than I had assumed beforehand. We can only speculate how he pays for all this, given the ban on his regular work. It shows (again) how little we know about Iran. My final conclusion is that I did not regret keeping my tickets for this not-a-film, though I was entitled for a substitute at choice out of the festival program.

In this non-film, the non-story is important

[Enchorde · 7/10 · 25 June 2019]

One of the most peculiar documentaries I have ever seen. But also one of the most brave, telling and therefore important (not-)movie I have ever seen. Jafar Panahi, internationally acclaimed director, is sentenced to jail (6 years) and forbidden to make movies (20 years) by the oppressive Iranian government. He sits at home awaiting his appeal, unable to do what he wants, making movies. However, the ban didn't mention appearing on camera, so he sets up the camera and films his day in his appartment.

Considering this, you shouldn't expect much action. Actually nothing much happen at all. Panahi speaks with his lawyer on the phone about his case, he describes his next movie (which have been stopped by authorities) to a friend and discusses the day he and his family got arrested with a janitor. The dialogs got both a subtle humor and immense weight, just because they are describing real events, his own personal history.

And it is in that context this is such a brave and important movie. The drama (and subtle action) is in the point that we are _not_ watching his next movie. It is evidence and testament of the oppressive ban on a filmmaker, who just want to make films about people in Iran. It is a protest, pushing the limits of the ban. Panahi takes a huge risk doing this, which is why he mostly does this in his own appartment (but please take note of the final remark of the janitor, begging him bot to go outside and being seen with the camera, knowing in full what might happen then).

It is as a statement, describing the ban without ever showing it, that this is exteemely important. You won't be much entertained (although I didn't find it boring), but you need to see this, especially if you live in a democratic country thinking free speech can be taken for granted.

An act of non-violent protest

[howard.schumann · 9/10 · 9 October 2011]

Hidden inside a birthday cake and smuggled out of the country, the 75-minute "effort", This is Not a Film, tells us all we need to know about the cruelty of the Iranian dictatorship and the courage of film director Jafar Panahi. Panahi, who has given the world such masterpieces as The White Balloon, The Circle, and Crimson Gold was arrested in March, 2010 and faces a ban of twenty years from making films and a six-year prison sentence for "propaganda against the Islamic Republic." This refers to exercising free speech by speaking out against the rigged elected of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

As part of his sentence, Panahi is barred from making films or writing screenplays, is unable to speak in his behalf, and forbidden to leave the country. While awaiting the results of his appeal, Panahi is filmed in his home by fellow director Mojtaba Mirtahmasb using a digital video camera and a cell phone. What begins as an innocuous home movie with Panahi sitting at his table eating breakfast takes on an added dimension when he calls Mirtahmasb, asking him to come by to discuss some ideas, but cautions him not to tell anyone about his visit.

While waiting for his friend to arrive, he talks on the phone with his lawyer who tells him that the court may waive the 20-year ban on filmmaking but are not likely to reduce his jail sentence. When Mirtahmasb arrives, Panahi reads from his latest screenplay which was rejected by the censors. Acting out the story, he puts tape around the area to suggest the apartment in which the story occurs. As he begins to read the screenplay about a young woman forbidden by her parents to attend university, tears come to his eyes and he stops, saying poignantly,

"If we could tell a film, then why make a film?" and expresses his regret about the harshness of the penalty he faces. Soon he takes care of his pet Iguana, Igi, and cares for a neighbor's dog who doesn't know the value of silence. As fireworks explode on the streets to celebrate the Persian New Year, a college student arrives to collect the trash as a substitute for the custodian, and the two engage in a dialogue, remembering the day when Panahi was arrested. To bring home the point even more forcefully, Panahi watches as a TV newscaster proclaims that fireworks are illegal. What started out as a home movie at the end becomes an act of non-violent protest.

A window into the oppressive state of a nation, as documented by Iranian film maker.

[gregwetherall · 8/10 · 31 October 2012]

Covering a day in the life of a man awaiting verdict from the Appeals court in Iran comes a documentary with a very specific purpose; to showcase the suffocating force exerted by the Iranian government on the artistic community.

Film-maker Jafar Panahi is under house arrest. His crime? "Propaganda against the regime". Sounding positively Orwellian, his sentence is 6 years in prison, a 20 year ban on making films and a 20 year ban on leaving the country. Understandably, he is frustrated, worried and angry with, and at, the political system. Being forbidden to make the film he planned on making, he uses the time in his apartment to lay out the bare bones of his latest screenplay.

This documentary film, it is important to note, is not constructed under a conventional arc. It is openly improvised. You see a man unsure where to steer the piece as it moves along. He is uncertain if anyone will ever set their eyes on what he is filming, and the lack of certainty hangs over the documentary like an ominous invisible cloud. However, amongst all of this are some surreal moments. There is frequent footage of his pet iguana and his escapades within the confines of the apartment. This footage allows for some light to creep in amongst the varying shades of sombre. Generally speaking, this is an exercise in seeing a film maker stripped of the fourth wall, and in its place, an ordinary person performing creatively within their own four walls. Ironically, the most dramatic aspect of the film is one that does not form part of what we see, and is not even added as a post-script; the film had to be smuggled out of Iran on a memory card that was hidden inside a cake.

Thanks to the surreptitious nature of the film's construction and export, This Is Not A Film could not be any more accurate to its title. It is the epitome of a document that is oxymoronic; the film has a very specific purpose and reason to exist, yet it also plays out with no narrative sense of purpose in any conventional sense.

Arguably, the most compelling facet of the documentary is in the understanding of the context in which it was made.

Criticism of this film is hard to level, hence the non-rating that heads this review. Bizarrely, despite containing no linear narrative, no talking heads and no interviews, it still stands as a fascinating window peek into a government that is terrifying, petrifying, anaesthetising and nullifying the proletariat. There is no fancy camera work, and the lack of focus means that it would be hard to recommend this film as being one for repeat viewings.

Yet still, it is something that needs to be seen. In fact, it commands to be seen. It is a brave feat and endeavour. It is engrossing because the viewer is left to marvel at how it made its way to our screens at all. It is a contemporaneous note on present day Iran and a call to the wider world. A cry for freedom and the purity of free expression. It highlights the extent to which civil liberties have been robbed and denied from the creative industries by the state. The real victim is freedom of speech. Freedom of expression. It is a news bulletin without filter.

for more film reviews: toomuchnoiseblog.com (@toomuch_noise) and www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-wetherall

It's not a film; why am I reviewing it?

[StevePulaski · 8/10 · 18 March 2013]

In only seventy-six minutes, the "documentary" (if we can call it that) This is Not a Film manages to do much in the way of silent rebellion, documentation, personal-freedom, and expressionism in a beautifully unconventional sense. It focuses on director Jafar Panahi, who was criminally silenced by the Iranian government for making films deemed as "propaganda." During this particular time, and in current times, Panahi is prohibited from making films and affiliating himself with any types of films. This fact alone makes This is Not a Film bolder and one of the most ostentatious documentaries ever made; mainly because it's a project that never was supposed to even be a thought in Panahi's head.

We see Panahi, alone in his large high-rise apartment, go about his daily activities, which include eating breakfast, playing with his daughter's iguana named Igi, analyzing his older films in a very deep sense, acting out scenes from his movies, and repeatedly calling his attorney to get a ruling on his case. Because of his "propaganda" films, Panahi has the potential to face six years in prison and the possibility of never directing another film again. This is a scary thought for a man who is clearly not our of words to say.

The naturalism and simplicity is what immediately sold me on this film. It's not hard to tell that much of this picture was comprised on Panahi's spontaneous thoughts. Nothing is very consistent; not all of it is particularly compelling, but all of it is truly a sight to behold. This is Not a Film, in order to receive distribution, was put on a flash drive and smuggled out of Iran in a cake, making this a truly unique picture just in its story. How many films (or "films") can you say you've seen that really shouldn't have been made? While my biggest compliment to the "film" is its naturalism and biographical nature, it also is my most prominent complaint. Many things happen here, some interesting, some not, making this experience fluctuate in quality more-so than any other picture I've seen this year. A strong part of me absolutely lauds Panahi for his bravery and commitment to get his "film" released, yet because of its loose, lax nature, I question why he chose to make it more about his typical day instead of voicing an opinion on the cruelty of the Iranian government. Now, I realize how deviant and asking that sounds, seeing as it was incalculably daring for Panahi to make a film at all. But why not go for broke if you chose to go back on a law at all? Why not question or defend the "propaganda" accusation his films now bear? Why not take in account how you really feel about this whole thing? However, one surprisingly elegant thing he does in This is Not a Film is question what exactly a film is? Moreover, does this picture he's making now count as a film? Is it "illegal" that he's getting his pal Mojtaba Mirtahmasb to film much of it on a cell-phone camera? Is it because it's spontaneous, and follows a very non-linear style that it doesn't qualify as a film? Does a film need to be a certain length to be constituted that? Does anything need to happen? I was reminded of those short films I always find myself watching on Youtube from the late 1800's to the early 1900's of little skits or documentaries that briefly regard life/humor/culture of a country at that specific time. Were they films? They never seemed to follow a strict plot line.

This is Not a Film is something people from all countries (especially America) should watch in order to truly view how repressed, censored, and limited other countries can be. In America, grotesque films like The Human Centipede can be made, showcasing disgust and loathe at its height, 2016: Obama's America can be made, a film that deliberately regards almost everything the current US president says as lies and cites his motives as unworthy, and The Hangover Part II can be made, a raunchy comedic exercise capitalizing off lewdness and politically incorrect humor. The fact that This is Not a Film came to be may sit indifferently with people from America, but the fact that it exists is an astonishing landmark for Iranian freedom of speech. While I can't recommend this work in an overbearing nature, if you go to a video store and find it there, it is probably the one you should pick up for its importance and bold roots. But since it isn't a film, I technically should be reviewing it or saying any of this.

Starring: Jafar Panahi. Directed by: Jafar Panahi and Mojtaba Mirtahmasb.

Why? Why Not?

[nairtejas · 4/10 · 14 January 2013]

At a native festival, this I hear was smuggled from Iran. Well after watching this, I had a totally bad, negative feeling. It is absolutely right that THIS IS NOT A FILM! Because it doesn't entertain!

Thank God, it is around 70 minutes or else I would've starved to death. The documentary starts intriguing but to the middle, it bores you to death. But, if you take out some courage to complete it, you will be startled to find out how an enemy of the state is regarded/brandished in Iran.

I loved the subject and my 4 stars go for the direction, story and the cause of house arrest in Iran. But if we consider other elements of film-making, this is a no-brainer. I will not comform with what the usual critics have to say about the causal topic, but I personally believe that a documentary should be as entertaining, informative (which this was) and enjoyable as a film!

Bottom line: A must watch... a single time!

Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES

Language: No | Sex: No | Violence: Very Mild

A purely individual look at what it is to be a forbidden film maker.

[theordinaryreview · 26 July 2013]

Jafar Panahi: "If we could tell a film, then why make a film?"

My interest in Iranian cinema started with Dayereh (2000) by Jafar Panahi and since then I've watched a few other Iranian films of which most are directed by him. I remember after the first film I saw, I read about him on Wikipedia and read about his sentence and ban from film making. It is quite shocking and this gives more sense to this documentary which would have never been seen if it hadn't been smuggled out of Iran on a USB stick.

In film nist starts with Jafar Panahi having breakfast over the course of breakfast he calls a friend, Iranian documentary director Mojtaba Mirtahmasb asking him to come over. The only link we have with the outside world is through his phone. Before his friend comes Jafar has a phone call with his lawyer who confirms that he will definitely have to go to prison and that she may try to reduce the ban duration on appeal but it's probably all she can do. She tells him that it is not a judiciary sentence but a political one. When his friend arrives, Jafar Panahi explains the last films he wanted to do and how they were both denied approval and had to let them go. He has the script of one and decides that he can explain it, using his living room, the carpet representing the room in which a girl is- also- imprisoned and a chair for the window.

This is not a film is exactly what the title says it is. It is a day, a documentary at most. Most of Jafar Panahi movies give a lot of freedom to (amateur) actors who creates the whole atmosphere. It seems clear that this was not planned either, this has no script or no particular goal except to have a camera there, to document whatever could be documented before it's too late.

The setting is also particular as the whole town goes crazy over the celebrations of "Fireworks Wednesday" and the two friends stay inside, wondering what to do and how to do it. It gets particularly strange when Jafar Panahi starts recording with his mobile phone, filming the act of being filmed. I think the highest point of this film being not a film, is when Jafar Panahi explains the story of this film he was going to make and in the middle of replaying it... He suddenly becomes silent and his face tells us that he has strong doubts and this is where the quote I picked is said, he doubts the whole concept of a film, of telling a story and if it is a story worth telling. It might be reduced to the film he was discussing in particular, however, I would think that it goes beyond that, that it touches every film he's done including this one.

A lot of the issues are not entirely discussed, maybe as a way to retain dignity in the face of a sentence or simply because they are not thought out to be relevant. These very blunt, almost political and philosophical moments contrast with the comical aspect of his iguana pet slowly climbing a bookshelf or the neighbor who tries to leave her dog with him before he simply starts barking. It is also strongly incidental as when a young arts student walk in to come and pick the trash, a job he does to help out his sister and brother-in-law, suddenly the story focuses on him and as he goes on to pick up the trash, we follow him. In a way, isn't that what movies always tried to do, follow the strange happenings of life?

I liked: It doesn't get much more explicitly banned film, well this is not a film.

I disliked: Very random in a bumpy unscripted way.

70/100 If you are looking for a deep political look in the situation of Iran's cinema industry and its struggle then you won't find it. This is a purely individual look at what it is to be a forbidden film maker.

Read more reviews at: www.theordinaryreview.blogspot.com

Insightful and unique documentary

[nesfilmreviews · 8/10 · 11 March 2013]

A late addition to the Cannes 2011 programme after being smuggled into France inside a cake, Iranian director Jafar Panahi's "This is Not a Film" (2011) is by no means your average political documentary. The 75-minute piece, shot partially on an iPhone, captures the day-to-day life of Panahi during a state-imposed house arrest in his Tehran apartment as he appeals a six year prison sentence and 20 year filmmaking ban for his opposition to the 2011 Iranian elections.

Here in the Western world, our access to information, democratic governments, and human rights are taken for granted. Panahi and Mirtahmasb are putting their lives on the line to tell the stories they feel they must tell, in the hope that, one day, their nation will be able to have the same sort of pro-democratic freedom as the rest of us. Gripping entertainment. Little by little "This Is Not a Film" leads to a final scene of overwhelming power. Anyone interested in cinema and/or Iran owes it to themselves to become familiar with this "not" film.

Brilliant act of courage.

[manendra-lodhi · 8/10 · 31 August 2012]

This is not a film and also not a documentary in a proper sense. This is a Video recording of two persons. But the good part is that within the few minutes you will understand why this film had to be made. A person cannot stop his talent for longer. This is happening with Jafar Panahi, the Iranian director who is fighting with his government. He has to stay inside his house without making films and he might go to jail. In the middle you might feel a little bored because of no change in location but eventually you will understand his limitations and the desperation which caused him to make this.

PROS: The film is slow but to some extend you will want to forgive for everything. He tries to make the documentary interesting by telling some of his previous films experiences and those are really amazing. His pet will keep you alive all the time. In few words, I would say that this is one of the best documentaries.

CONS: Got a little bored in the middle.

Message: "Don't stop because of obstructions." Verdict: "A must watch documentary."

Required Viewing

[atha-lucas · 10/10 · 29 January 2014]

If you love film you must see this. This movie makes the case for, not only the importance of film, but the importance of expression. All I have done with my life is watch movies. As time went on films started to lose euphoric passion, to me. Then as I browsed the library shelves my eye caught the title of this movie, I was intrigued. So I took it home and without a pause I just sat down and watched it. I had homework and a seven page essay on East of Eden the next day but those came second when the film grabbed me by the arm and pulled me into a place, emotionally, deeper than I had ever been before. This was the film that rekindled the love affair I had with film, and has been a driving force in my life. When I talk to anyone about movies I always recommend this film.

A Day in the Life

[mjcfoxx · 8/10 · 1 August 2013]

The first 10-20 minutes of this left me feeling sleepy. A filmmaker, unable to film because of his politics, films anyway, out of boredom. He has a script that was rejected by the government and he decides to act it out for his friend. However, he can't. It feels banal to him. It feels forced. He wants truth and it takes a long time to shirk your sense of self-consciousness when there's a camera in front of you.

He puts in movies and shows his friend his favorite scenes, all the why standing by the phone, hoping to hear word on his appeal. It could take months before he knows something, although he is almost certainly going to jail. On the television, Japan is being crushed by a tsunami. On the streets, it is Fireworks Wednesday, a day the leadership in Iran has already said must end because it's not a religious holiday. A friend on the phone wants him to join him out on the street to watch the fireworks, but has to get off the phone because he's hit a checkpoint. He calls back a few minute later. It's okay, he said. They just looked at my camera. Anyway, this is Iran. At the moment, it feels we're in far greater danger of becoming like Iran than Iran is of becoming anything like us.

Valiantly motivated experiment that mostly worked!!!

[davelucas1974 · 8/10 · 9 April 2013]

This Is Not a Film -

This movie definitely gets the "most interesting back-story" award for the year. Iranian film maker Jafar Panahi was punished for producing films that the government of his home land found objectionable with a sentence of six years in jail and a twenty year ban on the writing, directing, and/or production of films. While at home on bail awaiting the ruling of the appeals court, he began looking for ways around this. He already had one unproduced screenplay that he had written before the ban, which technically did not him from acting or reading screenplays that were already completed. He invited a friend who was a camera man over to tape him reading from (and to some extent, acting out) said screenplay. Technically, he was not disobeying the court order and technically "This (Was) Not a Film". Of course, these technicalities did not deter the film maker from cautiously smuggling the picture out of the country in a birthday cake before its release on the film festival circuit.

What starts out as a mere reading of the completed script ends up being a meditation on art, film-making, Iranian culture, and many other things. For fans of the director, it is an intriguing look into the mind of a master of his craft. For general audiences, it may be a little dry. I found it to be not only an interesting look into Panahi's thought processes, but into the plight of a film maker who loves his people but finds the constraints pf the oppressive government that rules them to be too constricting to allow the artistic process to flourish. Furthermore, it is a look into how any artist MUST struggle to express themselves no matter how difficult their current circumstances have made that task. If any of these themes sound particularly intriguing, by all means check the film out. If it doesn't sound like your particular cup of tea...as I said, a little dry...4 out of 5 stars.

Review brought to you by www.TheMovieFrog.com - Check us Out!!!

Why should anybody care whether this is a film or not ?

[FilmCriticLalitRao · 1/10 · 5 October 2013]

There are not many viewers who are aware of philosophy and its paradoxes. Liar's paradox is one of the most famous philosophical puzzles which continues to mock human beings. Its beauty lie in deciphering the phrase "This sentence is false."Anybody who tries to interpret it encounters a cumbersome dilemma as both options do not seem to be effective. Let us discuss something about a film. Most of us know well what a film is and what it is supposed to be. However, we are doomed if we are asked to describe what a film is not ? The whole idea of a film not being a film is absolutely ridiculous rather preposterous as a film can only be a film and nothing else. A film cannot be an actor, a cinema hall, a reel, a typewriter or a mobile phone. For a film to be a film, to be called a film, to be classified as a film, it has to be a film first and then it can be anything else. This is the most elementary thing one can say about a film's ontology. A film with a weird title like "This is not a film" makes mockery of cinema as a medium of artistic expression. Jafar Panahi has made better films but he has put his entire oeuvre to shame by making what many of us would like to call a "very bad film". It is an insipid exercise in arrogance, idiocy, show-off and vanity as Jafar Panahi is shown how important and influential he is as he makes phone calls to his contacts, whiles away his time by playing with a pet iguana and does other minor tasks at home. One knows well that television is often derided as being a stupid means of entertainment. However, "This is not a film" emerges as even worse than a work of television as it does not have any basic entertainment value. This film is scandalous as it doesn't carry any 'artistic message'. It is merely a pseudo exercise in garnering sympathy for a director who has chosen to call his film as 'it is not a film'.

The title is correct – worth seeing as a political statement but mostly it is pretty dull

[bob the moo · 2 March 2013]

This film was roundly praised by the filmmaking community and stories of it being smuggled out of Iran in a cake certainly helped to raise awareness of the fate of Jafar Panahi. Unlike some, I shall not pretend to be knowledgeable enough to have heard of him before this film, nor to be a fan of his work (!) as others were keen to point out – for me this was a learning experience as I never heard of him. As such the film was interesting in how it informed me about the situation and the bigger picture. However it did this by simply existing – before I'd even watched a second of it, so what would the actual film bring to the table?

Well, the main thing is to illustrate the restraint of creativity by having Panahi "story-board" some of his existing script and also talk about some moments from his previous films. These moments are pretty engaging because he has a passion and he has a vision that comes over in these scenes. Other scenes add to his story and add value in this way, however too much of the film just illustrates his time in his house – and his time stuck in the house is dull; dull for him and dull for us. In a way it is good to share this, but it doesn't engage the audience and by shooting whatever is said or happens, then it feels like there is no goal or structure to the film.

I can understand the logic and, as others have said, this is non-violent protest; Panahi has the chance to violently lash out with either direct verbal attacks or with snipe commentary and presentation, but he doesn't do this – instead he peacefully sits down in front of the camera and makes this non-film as a peaceful protest against the situation, not hurting anyone. However this passive approach doesn't engage and it is increasingly dull as it has less and less to say. I know the film was beloved of festivals and lovers of cinema and I would love to claim beauty and emotion and be able to present myself a certain way, but this was not the case for me. The value in the film is not enough for the length and I was bored of it outside of the few sections I describe. I am very glad the film exists – very glad indeed, but watching it is a very different matter.

Simple, but oh so fascinating.

[Ryan_MYeah · 8/10 · 12 April 2013]

You may or may not know the recent struggles of Iranian film maker Jafar Panahi. In 2010, he was arrested for alleged propaganda against the Islamic Republic, set to serve a prison sentence for six years, and banned from contributing to any movie for 20 years.

Strictly speaking, This is Not a Film isn't legal. The film was shot entirely by him and friend Mojtaba Mirtahmasb. Chronicling a day in the life of Panahi, the film is a strong, bold, witty commentary on oppression of creativity and freedom of speech. There's not terribly much of a narrative, considering the simple presentation, but that doesn't make the footage any less powerful in Panahi's self-expression. It's even bolder considering it was smuggled out of the country through a hidden flash drive. Simple, yet oh so entertaining.

**** / *****

A remarkable social document

[Buddy-51 · 8/10 · 4 April 2014]

So your last movie went way over budget, then tanked at the box office? Think you've got it bad? Jafar Panahi is an Iranian director (of the wonderful "The White Balloon" and "Offside") who's currently serving six years in prison and a 20-year ban on filmmaking for making a movie the nation's ministry of film didn't approve of. No joking. But the law doesn't say he can't READ a screenplay on film. So before his imprisonment, Panahi invited his documentary filmmaker pal Mojtaba Mirtahmasb to his apartment in Tehran to film him reciting and acting out his latest creation. "This is not a Film" is a record of that event.

It's a noble venture, but as a filmmaker himself, Panahi quickly realizes the futility of his stunt, as he concludes, "If we can tell a film, why make a film?" then dissolves into tears. The rest of the movie, therefore, is taken up with Panahi screening parts of his older films while providing running commentary on his artistic choices, discussing everyday concerns with Mirtahmasb, and awaiting word of his fate.

The movie is certainly an indictment of the repressive society in which he lives, yet it also demonstrates that film comes in many forms, and while Panahi may be unable to make the dramatic feature he would like to, it is an equally valid and valuable form of artistic expression to simply document his own real life experience for others to observe - and just as powerful in its effect.

And, indeed, the most compelling scene in the movie is a completely extemporaneous one, as Panahi interviews a substitute custodian who stops by to pick up Panahi's trash when the camera just happens to be running and we get to know a little something about this utterly charming man's life in the few unguarded moments we get to spend with him. It's a subtle yet potent reminder that no regime, however cowardly and repressive, can completely dim the human spirit and our basic human need to connect with one another on a personal level.

The movie, which was spirited out of the country on a flash drive hidden inside a cake, functions as a frank political statement for what life is like for film artists living in Iran, but, equally important, it makes the rest of us appreciate the freedoms of expression we all too often take for granted in our own parts of the world - and the need to be ever vigilant in preserving them.

This is THE Film

[TheFilmFreak1 · 10/10 · 9 May 2021]

There is no greater pathos in this world than a free spirit admitting defeat to a bully. Noted filmmaker Jafar Panahi, a political prisoner under the thumb of the theocratic Iranian regime, play acts within his apartment the major beats of a screenplay he could not film; a story for which he is so enthusiastic he has staked his reputation and liberty on it. He gets through the first scene, then hesitates a moment. Utterly deflated, he asks 'If we could tell a film, then why make a film?'

That line hit a nerve with me. Every film-maker feels this to varying degrees. Panahi's experience is as bad as it gets, save for the hypothetical artist facing death itself as the possible consequence of self-expression. Nothing I have experienced compares to this man, but at its base I know what it feels to want to have something to say to the world and lacking the means to say it.

It is then with the greatest irony that Panahi, anxious about being inauthentic every step of the way, records a 78-minute video diary with fellow filmmaker Mojtaba Mirtahmasb that manages to convey so many facets of his person that you come away feeling like you actually know the man. I am simply in awe of Panahi's ability to communicate what he does with the camera. The film's final scene, ostensibly an awkward conversation with a landlord in a elevator, has enough drama, humour, terror, and even action to take any other 2010s movie to the cleaner's.

Perhaps the most glorious thing about this film is that its mere existence is an act of defiance against a group of bullies, passing themselves off as a government. Panahi remains free in spirit, but still lacks many of the rights of self-determination a peaceful citizen of any country deserves. And he is comparably lucky compared to so many oppressed within Iran and virtually every other country around the globe. It's easy to understand why we have laws that try to minimise harm for all citizens, but unless there is a direct causal link between an act and harm caused, no law should ever exist that can deprive a person of liberty or a chance at self-actualisation for the mere expression of an opinion.

Why should we watch this?

[turkerc · 4/10 · 1 April 2018]

I totally respect the work Mr. Panahi had done and hardships he faced but this i refuse to give praise just because this footage represents something against Iran regime. American magazines give fake praises and it is overemphasized that this was recorded by an Iphone.

It is generally honest and warm. But it is neither a political statement, nor a triumph. It does not represent a great value as a movie because it doesn't have a strong point for viewers.

Important but also extremely tough to slog through...

[planktonrules · 2 August 2013]

In 2011, Jafar Panahi was arrested in his country of Iran. Apparently, the film he was working on offended the wrong people and he was held, without charges, for some time before anyone was allowed to see him. All he knew is that it offended the regime and they decided to imprison him. Eventually, a trial was held and Panahi was sentenced to 6 years in prison as well as a 20 year ban on making movies or leaving the country. Exactly why still wasn't certain and there was an outcry from the international community. It didn't seem to have any effect and his appeal was rejected. He remains in prison today.

"This is Not a Film" was made just before Panahi went back to prison. What it consists of is a lot of raw and rambling footage. While Panahi talks a bit about his situation, he really doesn't get into discussing the regime nor his punishment. Instead, he does a lot of seemingly mundane things (the film begins with him eating breakfast) as well as blocking out and explaining what his film would have been--if he could have made it. Additionally, friends drop by and spend time with him and talk to the camera man. All this footage was smuggled out of Iran in a hidden flash drive and appears to have been unedited--just played out in its entirety.

From a political standpoint, "This is Not a Film" is intriguing. Your heart really has to go out to Panahi and the situation is just evil. However, despite all this, the project is a complete bore to watch and desperately needed direction and editing. I would agree that this really isn't a film--and because of this, I am declining to give this one a vote. Interesting but also tedious and very, very difficult to watch. I really think using some of this footage and then making a documentary about Pahani's legal battle would have been exciting and worth seeing. Perhaps they can do this some time in the future.