Nader and Simin: A Separation

A complex Iranian masterpiece bound to leave no one untouched. Director Asghar Farhadi seizes the viewer’s attention from the very first scene of his new film. Nader and Simin: A Separation was deservedly rewarded with the three most prestigious awards during this year’s film festival in Berlin.

Nader hires a nurse to care for his old father and look after his daughter when Simin leaves him. A strange woman working in a separated man’s house is unheard of in the strictly conservative Iran, and problems arise. A fatal accident occurs and it is not evident who bears the guilt. During the following trial, those involved are forced to reveal the truth even at the expense of their future and families. In this intense moral drama, Farhadi manages to deal with a variety of topics, including the upbringing of children, religion, class differences, and injustice. With great humanity, he depicts how the relations between children and parents, as well as husband and wife, change forever in a harrowing conflict where everyone seems to be both right and wrong at the same time. dgr