A Separation
Moving, quiet, and subtle, A Separation sets itself apart.
Asghar Farhadi (Iran, Contemporary World Cinema)
SCREENINGS:
Saturday, September 10, 4 p.m.
TIFF Bell Lightbox 3
Sunday, September 11, 11:45 a.m.
AMC 9
Minutes into Asghar Farhadi’s A Separation, it becomes evident you are watching an actual film. That is to say, not merely moving images on a screen where people occasionally speak, but a narrative gracefully unfolding with actors subtly conveying emotion. Winner of the Golden Bear for Best Film at this year’s Berlin Film Festival, A Separation is set in modern day Iran, following Simin (Leila Hatami) and Nader (Peyman Moaadi) who are seeking a divorce—she wishes to leave the country, he (it seems willingly burdened by his aging father who suffers from Alzheimer’s) refuses to leave. Complicating things further is the matter of their daughter’s custody, Termeh (Sarina Farhadi), to work out. But the plot of the film rapidly changes after Simin moves out and Razieh (Sareh Bayat) is hired to care for the father. Concealing her pregnancy in order to get the job, this choice eventually causes a chain reaction which greatly affects both families.
Though this plot may sound melodramatic, Farhadi’s simple camera work, sparse script and limited score allows for the actors to portray the emotional drama with bitter realism. The final scene, finding Simini and Nader back in divorce court, leaves the film’s greatest question unanswered, but will intrigue audiences to continue discussing the film well after its end.