Manuscripts Don't Burn

Where Iranian cinema often makes use of subtile allegory, Manuscripts Don't Burn is quite direct in its criticism of Iran under the rule of Mamhoud Ahmadinejad. So direct that, when the film premiered at the Cannes film festival in 2013, the names of all cast and crew where omitted to ensure their safety; only director Rasoulof was credited.

The film's narrative epicenter is a real-life incident: In the 1990s, a coachload of writers and artists nearly drove off a cliff in a near-fatal accident. We meet several of the survivors, now bitter and disillusioned after having seen Iran develop into an authoritarian regime. The film starts, however, with two men driving aimlessly (or so it seems) around Teheran. We gradually learn that they are state agents, or rather thugs, trying to find a manuscript that details how the abovementioned “accident” was really an attempt from the state to assassinate the writers.

As the two narrative strands merge, we are left with no illusions as to the brutality of the regime. Manuscripts Don't Burn is a slow-burning thriller, with a claustrophobic atmosphere that mirrors the characters' political imprisonment. Cato Fossum

Mohammad Rasoulof (b. 1972) is one of Iran’s most renowned filmmakers. A sociologist by training, he later studied film editing at the Sooreh University and made a number of short films in the 1990s. Rasoulof has made seven feature films since his debut in 2002. His three latest films have all won awards at the Cannes film festival.