Mohammad Reza Aslani’s “Chess of the Wind”
Released just prior to Iran’s revolution and lost until now, this is a subversive, modern parable of corruption, greed and patriarchy told with Kubrick level detail and mise-en-scene
Jafar Panahi’s “Taxi Tehran”
Joyful and ingenious, this view of a cross section of people in Tehran by way of a shared taxi turns a series of seemingly disparate stories into a coherent and potent whole
Ali Abbasi’s “Holy Spider”
Thrilling, thoughtful and multilayered story based on true events as a female journalist tracks down a serial killer in a conservative Iranian city
Panah Panahi’s “Hit the Road”
A life affirming drama-comedy road movie that’s hilarious, accessible and poignant as an Iranian family make their way across the country for reasons unknown