Rasoulof has previous. In 2010, he was arrested for making a documentary about the disputed Iranian election and mass demonstrations of the previous year. Sentenced to one year’s imprisonment, he’s been on bail since, and is banned from leaving Iran. But he’s continued making films and has since twice received one-year sentences for ‘propaganda against the system’.
He adopted the form of his latest, a compilation of four connected stories, to avoid scrutiny by the authorities, who are concerned about features – but not shorts, which have a smaller reach. Its theme has huge resonance: how do we – whether for personal convenience, comfort or advantage – avoid standing up against wrongdoing?
