Asghar Farhadi: An American Cinematheque Retrospective

This special event features the following screenings and Q&A with Asghar Farhadi:

Fireworks Wednesday 

Wednesday, December 1, 2021 | 7:00 PM 

Los Feliz 3 (1822 N Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027)

This gripping, suspenseful drama is a story of marital intrigue and betrayal set against the backdrop of the Persian New Year. Rouhi (Taraneh Alidoosti), a young bride-to-be, is hired as a maid for an affluent family in Tehran. Upon arriving, she is suddenly thrust into an explosive domestic conflict. The wife is convinced her husband is having an affair (with a recently divorced woman living next door) and enlists Rouhi as a spy to follow her husband and confirm her suspicions. What Rouhi discovers, however, threatens not only their marriage but her own future.

Click here to book your tickets ($8.00 Members, $13.00 General Admission).

About Elly 

Thursday, December 2, 2021 | 7:00 PM 

Los Feliz 3 (1822 N Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027)

With the return of their close friend Ahmad from Germany, a group of old college pals decide to reunite for a weekend outing by the Caspian Sea. The fun starts right away as they quickly catch on to the plan of lively Sepideh, who has brought along Elly, her daughter’s kindergarten teacher, in hopes of setting her up with recently divorced Ahmad. But seemingly trivial lies, which start from the moment the group arrives at the seashore, suddenly swing round and come back full force when one afternoon Elly suddenly vanishes. Her mysterious disappearance sets in motion a series of deceptions and revelations that threaten to shatter everything they hold dear.

Click here to book your tickets ($8.00 Members, $13.00 General Admission).

A Separation / The Salesman + Q&A with Asghar Farhadi 

Sunday, December 12, 2021 | 7:30 PM 

Aero Theatre (1328 Montana Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90403)

Free screening.

A Separation 

In this Academy Award-winning, wrenching family drama, the dissolution of an upper-middle class marriage reveals sexual, class, and religious fault lines in contemporary Iran. When Simin (Leila Hatami) asks her husband Nader (Peyman Moaadi) to emigrate in search of better opportunities for their daughter, the man refuses, insisting that they stay with his invalid father. The couple separate and Nader hires Razieh to tend to his dad, but the arrival of the poor, devout, and pregnant woman in the household brings serious complications.

The Salesman 

Married performers Emad (Shahab Hosseini, Best Actor winner at Cannes) and Rana (Taraneh Alidoosti) are starring in a production of Death of a Salesman when they are forced to evacuate their building. They wind up in a prostitute’s old apartment, where Rana is attacked; as his wife begins to unravel, Emad is determined to find the culprit and wreak revenge. Writer-director Farhadi masterfully ratchets up the tension as emotions boil over and this Academy Award-winning domestic drama reaches its powerful climax.

Please book your ticket by clicking here.

A Hero + Q&A with Asghar Farhadi

Monday, December 13, 2021 | 7:30 PM 

Aero Theatre (1328 Montana Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90403)

Free, members-only event.

And

Tuesday, December 14, 2021 | 7:00 PM

Los Feliz 3 (1822 N Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027)

Free screening.

Rahim (Amir Jadidi) is in prison because of a debt he was unable to repay. During a two-day leave, he tries to convince his creditor to withdraw his complaint against the payment of part of the sum. But things don’t go as planned in this 2021 Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix winner.

“Farhadi stages highly effective scenes, showing what happens in a society that elevates ordinary people into ‘heroes’ but, as a result, doesn’t trust the stories it’s telling itself.” – Owen Gleiberman, Variety

Please book your tickets for Monday screening by clicking here and for Tuesday screening by clicking here.

Visit the American Cinematheque website to learn more about the series.