Iranian Most Valuable Documentaries

Set 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.

It's been months since Jafar Panahi, stuck in jail, has been awaiting a verdict by the appeals court. By depicting a day in his life, Panahi and Mojtaba Mirtahmasb try to portray the deprivations looming in contemporary Iranian cinema.

In this documentary, Kiarostami asks a number of students about their school homework. The answers of some children shows the darker side of this method of education.

Chauka? An exotic punctual bird decorating a proud nation's flag or a terrifying solitary prison? Is it part of the identity of a tropical paradise or just an embarrassment for a civilized country in 21th century? Someone is curious to find it out.

Teenage girls consigned to the Iranian "Correctional and Rehabilitation Centre" discuss their troubled lives and reveal what brought them there.

An Iranian Consul risks his life to save many lives during the WWII in France. He creatively made up a new description of 'Djoguoten' for Iranian Jews to argue with German officials to exempt them from the German Racial Policy.

This rap-punk-rock documentary tells the story of Iranian musician Shahin Najafi who is forced into hiding after hardline clerics issue a fatwa for his death, incensed by a rap song that focuses on the oppression of women and human rights abuses. Shahin's frantic escape leads to an impossible romance when he falls in love with the granddaughter of the first Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Their backgrounds make their relationship a modern-day Romeo and Juliet.

Uncover the mystery of the last Shah of Iran's exile from his country during the Iranian Revolution of 1979, his illness, misdiagnosis, maltreatment and eventual death, and its impact on the Middle East, United States and the world.

After her family attempts to sell her into marriage, a young Afghan refugee in Iran channels her frustrations and seizes her destiny through music. Grabbing the mic, she spits fiery rhymes in the face of oppressive traditions.

This documentary is about the vicissitudinous story of Iranian music between 1979-1989. The years just after 1979 Revolution through the end of Iran-Iraq war. The narrative of restrictions and obstacles told by musicians, composers and state authorities. Confrontation of music and politics. Simultaneous narration of two stories: the story of young people who sacrificed their lives for their homeland, and the story of musicians who on one hand entered the battle fields by their own language and on the other hand kept Iranian music alive and thriving. And the winner of these two battle fields is Iran and Iranian music, of course.

A documentary about real divorce cases in Iran's tribunals.

A documentary on provocative artist Bahman Mohassess, the so-called "Persian Picasso," whose acclaimed paintings and sculptures dominated pre-revolutionary Iran.

The struggles of a hardscrabble Iranian nomadic tribe as they journey through bleak country to reach the grasslands that will save their livestock.

Two DJ's in Tehran are battling to play the music they love and set up dance parties. Local regime does not look well at harbingers of western culture of decay so the protagonists need to do big decisions.

A young documentary filmmaker creates a Telegram Channel named "Shabnaameh" and publish some US government activities in Iran. These activities were done in order to execute "Change Project" in Iran.

A documentary that follows one year in the life of American pro basketball player Kevin Sheppard, who signed on to play for the upstart Iranian Super League team A.S. Shiraz.

Documentary where Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami reflects on his own film-making techniques, drawing from his own films - and Ten (2002) in particular.

A documentary about modern and creative forms of non-violent protest and civil disobedience.

Darvish 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.

An 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.

A concealed camera follows a group of first graders during their day at school.

Exploring the life and impact of the greatest spiritual and legal philosopher in Islamic history, this film examines Ghazali's existential crisis of faith that arose from his rejection of religious dogmatism, and reveals profound parallels with our own times. Ghazali became known as the Proof of Islam and his path of love and spiritual excellence overcame the pitfalls of the organised religion of his day. His path was largely abandoned by early 20th century Muslim reformers for the more strident and less tolerant school of Ibn Taymiyya. Combining drama with documentary, this film argues that Ghazali's Islam is the antidote for today's terror.

The 45-year old Swedish woman, Kristina Paltén, ran across Iran to challenge her own prejudices against a culture and people she knew little about. She felt the very human need to trust in people.

Exposing the Islamic regime's taboo on followers of the Baha'i faith.

A tour of Iran filmed from a helicopter.