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Hello, and welcome to this commentary
track for Black Rabbit, White Rabbit.

My name is Tori Vitenza.

I am a programmer for Brooklyn Horror Film
Festival.

I'm also a writer and critic.

You can find my bylines with Movie John,
Dread Central, Ghouls Mag, Certified

Forgotten, and Horror Press, amongst
others.

And you can find my physical media
contributions at Second Sight,

Vinegar Syndrome, Arrow, and 88 Films.

So, Black Rabbit,
White Rabbit is the 2025

release from Iranian
filmmaker Sharam Makhri.

And this is his fifth feature film.

Although he is an Iranian filmmaker,
this was actually filmed in Tajikistan.

And ultimately, this was the
entry for the Academy Awards

that the country sent in for
Best International Feature Film.

It's not too uncommon for Iranian
filmmakers to work outside of the country,

especially considering a lot of the
upheaval within that country that's been

happening and a lot of the strict
censorship laws in Iran.

Now, this is a really
interesting film for me as

someone who's a little bit
newer to Sharam's work.

The film is described as a mystery
thriller.

And it didn't necessarily feel that way to
me when I first started it.

Especially considering the humor that the
film really has.

It was not the type of mystery thriller I
really expected.

And as I explored more of his work and was
prepping for this commentary, I really

began to understand the puzzle box
structure that Sharam goes for with most

of his films, which
really lends itself well to

unveiling a story for the
people that are viewing it.

So, it's definitely a different kind of
mystery thriller.

It's also just a very interesting film.

It's a beautifully crafted film.

Even watching this opening
scene here, I think the

colors, the blue and the
yellow are just so vibrant.

And watching some of
his earlier work, you can

definitely tell it was a
little bit more low budget.

So, really interesting watching that
compared to his latest feature.

There's a very distinct feeling
watching his films, especially

after watching multiple
back-to-back in preparation.

For the commentary, there's this dreamlike
feeling to all of them.

And in some ways, you need to turn off
part of your brain that really wants to be

grappling for answers
and just be present and sit

with what you're viewing
and how it plays out.

What you feel and conjure
watching it feels much more important

than trying to dissect and
understand every part of it.

Ultimately, that feels
less interesting and more

difficult because his films
play into magical realism.

So, while much of his work is steeped in
and inspired by real life, there's a

playfulness and magic that is different
from what we know in the real world.

So, trying to apply the logic of our real
worlds can be a bit fruitless.

And his work really leaves a lot for
audiences to infer on their own.

I was reading an article
about what reactions were

like to this when it was
making its festival run.

And people seemed perplexed by it,
but also very engaged with the material.

Although they said that one of the most
common questions that people asked first.

during the Q&A's for this was,
what is this movie even about?

I think it's something that's hard for
people to do, to turn off their brains.

But it's often one of the more enjoyable
ways to watch a film, in my opinion.

Just let everything happening wash over you
and really be present with what's going on.

And as you watch more of Sharam's work,
there's a lot of similarities and

similarities in the overarching style and
structure.

But all of them feel really different.

This one included.

Each feels completely unique.

And I think Black Rabbit, White Rabbit
takes a lot of the ideas that he's been

working with, a lot of the playing with
structure, and some of the thematic

elements that we'll get into more as this
goes on.

But really, each one has a totally
different tone, production design,

mood, and all play key roles in the world
that he's creating.

And each feels totally
unique, even though it has

this puzzle-like structure,
which is much like M.C.

Escher's work, which is
what was an inspiration for this

film and several of the
other films in his filmography.

He discusses this process and talks a lot
about how working on his films is a lot

like a theater stage, which makes a lot of
sense when you think about it,

considering that his longtime collaborator
and partner, Naseem Ahmedpour,

comes from a theater background.

So you can really feel some of her
influence on different ideas that Sharam

was already working on before they started
collaborating.

When discussing his process, they talk
about how you have a simple setup and then

you keep adding to it, layer by layer,
as though, quote, we Photoshop several

moving images on top of each other and
then remove the distance between these

images and watch all the different images
at the same time.

Because of the one-shot structure that we
see, and a lot of his work, diving into

how he prepares for films is really
interesting.

Instead of storyboards, they
make a 3D model where the

cast and crew can have
an aerial view of the action.

And from there, they can envision the
placement and movement of actors,

kind of like a Dollhouse, at least how I
picture it.

They sit around the model and determine
the location of the action.

The actors would make changes as needed and
determine the camera movements and so on.

Another similarity between
the method of filmmaking and

theater is between the rehearsal
and recording he talks about.

There's an interval where
they experiment with trial

and error and make small
changes along the way.

But everything, every little detail,
has to come into context.

And that's a big consideration.

And while sometimes the plot itself might
feel a little loose, and it's kind of hard

to get your grounding as to what's going
on, because of the cyclical time loop

nature of his films, you
can really sense how

expertly all of these
elements are put together.

The main woman on screen now is one of the
leads.

She plays a woman named Sarah.

And this is an esteemed Tajik actor named
Hasti Mohammeh.

I really love the look and design of this
house.

You can see elements of some different M
.C.

Escher inspirations all over the place.

You can see elements of some different M
.C.

Painting in the background.

There's also so many
different paintings and

artwork of butterflies
all over the place.

Which ties into one of
Escher's more famous

works, Metamorphosis
and Metamorphosis II.

And then, of course, we see a lot of
weaponry as well.

And I think that opening
quote that we saw about, like,

why would you mount the gun
if you weren't going to use it?

Plays a really big role in this.

Neshera Makhri was born in 1978.

He worked as a film critic
for Film Magazine, which

is one of the more prominent
arts magazines in Iran.

Also lectured at film schools and taught
filmmaking throughout Iran.

And also served on the
executive board for screening

art and experience
feature films in Tehran.

And also served on the
executive board for screening

Which is the capital of Iran.

Many of the staples of his work that we
see here and throughout his filmography

are things like blurring the lines between
reality and fiction, doppelgangers,

stories within stories.

A focus on filmmaking.

And these tend to get a little meta.

Sharam even kind of making himself this
ghostly figure.

In the background.

Always talked about once we get to the
portions of the film that are on the film set.

It's really interesting looking into some
of his influences.

When I was preparing for this,
I found the BFI Sight and Sound Greatest

Film list of all time that he put
together.

And some of the ones listed were films
like Citizen Kane, Vertigo.

He talks about eight nights.

One and a half.

And quotes that the film is as much about
real life as it is about cinema.

And it's as much about living in the dream
as about trying to give it up.

Which feels like it applies in many ways
to this film as well.

Another one is Monholland Drive.

Which I love the idea
of Lynch potentially

being an influence in
some of the work he does.

I think Sharam in a different way.

That's similar.

Tows that line between like whimsy.

Things being really sentimental.

But also not necessarily hiding away from
some of the darkness of the world.

Sharam was a film lover from an early age.

Talked about how his father was a
cinephile and collected.

But at the time growing up.

He said it was during those initial years
of the Iranian revolution.

So actual access to fictional media and
storytelling was really limited.

And the city where he grew up.

He said there were no films being shown in
cinemas at the time.

So for someone that had such a passion.

And came into a family that had that
passion.

There was a little bit of a void.

In terms of what media he actually had
access to.

And most of that growing up was just what
he could see on TV.

Which tended to be Japanese movies that
were dubbed or television series.

And then he said later when video became
available in the country.

The majority were American films.

And you can see a lot of American genre
films throughout his filmography.

Being big influences.

Now Sharam and Nassim have been working
together for several years.

They write the screenplays together.

And then Makri does the directing.

And their professional relationship began
with the film Fish and Cat.

Which you can find actually on Deaf
Crocodile's other release of Makri's work.

The Time Bending Mysteries of Sharam
Makri.

The two continued working together with
his films Invasion.

As well as Careless Crime.

Also included on that same box set.

And the two are around the same age.

Grew up in the same generation.

So sort of had similar experiences when it
came to what media they had access to.

But as I mentioned Nassim has a theater
background.

She's a theater director, dramatist and
screenwriter.

And she co-founded the theater group Don
Quixote in Tehran in 2003.

For which she's written and directed
several plays.

In 2018 she won the
award for best play script

at the Toronto International
Short Film Festival.

And because of the strict government laws
on both women and performing arts.

Recent plays she's done such as The Report
on the Judgment Day.

Had to be performed in a private
underground hall in the city's capital.

She said her interest in theater did not
stem from watching plays.

As there were no real plays being
performed at the time in her hometown.

She said she loved literature and wanted
to study creative writing.

But universities did not offer those
courses.

So theater and playwriting ended up being
the closest thing.

And I definitely like the idea of that
theatrical background.

Playing a role into the overall structure
of these films.

I think a lot of times when I think of
movies that feel like theater experiences.

They're often these really small contained
worlds.

And don't feel as expansive as the ones
that Sharam's creating.

Especially in Black Rabbit, White Rabbit.

We just keep seeing more and more
elements.

So it's really impressive.

The way that they're able to...
construct these huge productions.

That have so many different elements going
on.

In terms of Sharam's other films in his
filmography.

There's the film Careless Crime that I
mentioned.

Which is about four people who decide to
set fire to a cinema.

Packed with people.

A lot of his films get recognition at
different film festivals.

So this won the Golden Bassatto
Screenwriter Award.

For the Independent Critics Association in
Venice.

Careless Crime also won the Silver Hugo at
the Chicago Film Festival.

And one of the comparisons for that one is
Hitchcock's Vertigo.

Which was listed in his top films of all
time.

And that one in particular is about the
burning of the rec cinema.

Which was a large event that happened
really close to his birthday.

The year he was born.

There's also the film Invasion from 2017.

Which is a science fiction detective slash
vampire story.

It screened at the 68th Berlin Film
Festival.

And was nominated for the Teddy Award.

Citing inspirations like this one.

The film Liquid Sky.

Which is not one I hear spoken about very
frequently in larger film circles.

So it's pretty cool to hear that as a
reference here.

And the film is this interrogation.

But the way that the
police do interrogations is by

acting out the events of the
crime over and over again.

So you have this acting out different
elements.

Sort of a play happening before you.

With this very similar structure.

That the two of them have been working
with for some time.

Invasion was their most complex film.

Because of its structure and also the
mathematics.

It was structured based on a mathematic
equation.

Which I don't know how you based an entire
film off a mathematical equation.

But because of that they really limited
what they were allowed to do in scenes.

And because of that some scenes.

That maybe were intended to be shorter.

Had to be longer.

Or vice versa.

So she says that it looked like a rigid
film.

She recalls festival selectors describing
it as an impenetrable cube.

And because that ended up being one of
their more challenging films.

They would discuss fine details.

And Nassim would suggest something.

And then Makri would come back saying.

The film structure doesn't allow for us to
focus more on that character.

Or make that moment longer.

Everything needs to fit within the
equation.

And I find that interesting.

Because there is that idea of having a lot
of rules or guidelines.

And how that can foster a different type
of creativity.

And I think it relates a little bit to
Iranian cinema.

In the way that there are directors like
Shahram.

Who have been making films in their
country.

Really profound films that deal with
really interesting subject material.

But nonetheless.

Because they have so many restrictions.

They have to show things in a certain way.

Do things in a certain way.

And he puts even more restrictions on
himself.

With some of these larger structures that
he creates.

And that whole film centers around a
disease that is affecting all of humanity.

And then there's another disease within
this world.

That specifically affects only authority
figures.

Which again feels very political.

It's interesting that it came out in 2017.

Because it has so many elements that we
really come to deal with.

During COVID-19.

Just three years later.

And they constantly talk about this
border.

That people are moving in between.

Which as that movie plays on.

Really feels like it's talking about
immigration.

People leaving the country.

And that sort of thing.

Especially when we talk about Iranian
filmmakers.

Who end up leaving the country.

Because of limited artistic freedom.

I also think it's really interesting.

Because there are a lot of queer elements
to this.

Including some like gender play.

Which at least from the information I know
about Iranian cinema.

It seems very interesting that he's able
to discuss that.

I want to build this place.

And come live in it.

I want to live with my grandfather over
there.

I'm sick.

Come here.

Yes, we are sick.

All of our bodies are empty.

Do you want to get a divorce from your
grandfather?

Not right now.

No.

Let's live separately.

Another one of Shiram's films that I
mentioned.

Is Fishing Cat.

Which was from 2013.

And is when he and Nassim began working
together.

And it follows a group of students.

That go to this fairly remote part of the
country.

For this kite flying event.

During the winter solstice.

But unbeknownst to them.

Their camp starts being hunted.

By these three cooks.

Who work at a nearby restaurant.

Although it's not a very violent film.

It was inspired by 1970s slashers.

Like Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

And has that same cannibal element to it.

And apparently it topped the box office in
Iran.

When it came out.

Which is not something you hear a lot.

About genre films in general.

But it's really interesting.

Seeing him create a slasher film.

That's purely indie art house.

Without those violent elements.

All of that is sort of happening.

In the backdrop of the film.

Going back to some of those political
elements.

You have a lot of like the urban.

Versus rural populations.

Something that is also.

I think something you see in a lot of 70s.

American grindhouse films.

Like I Spit on Your Grave.

And some of the exploitation films.

Of the time.

But it's really interesting.

And then there's also that element.

Of the old.

Feeding off the young.

And I think.

Especially right now in Iran.

When so many young people.

Are fighting against the government.

And engaging in these huge protests.

You really feel.

The generational conflict.

I think we're all like.

Young men fighting each other.

And then you get these.

That when you think.

That in this world.

You don't see anything.

You see something.

That you can't.

And the other thing.

Is the sense of.

This is one of the
interviews I found and

says that in theater,
we do not have editing.

When you decide on a scene,
you are choosing its destiny

and cannot do anything
further during the performance.

She says the same things happen in their
scripts.

They are fixed so that
when you want to change a

location, you have to
rewrite the whole script.

Which to me sounds a little bit maddening.

If you want to change one element,
you have to change multiple elements.

But it's clearly something these two
creatives have figured out how to do

together considering how often it's been a
part of their work.

She says we cannot
change the dialogue even

because everything has
to be timed so perfectly.

There's a lot of play with doppelgangers
in his work.

So these elements of mistaken identities
and doppelgangers.

Are really interesting.

And feel a little eerie.

You don't get to explore them too too
much.

And you don't even necessarily
get answers to some of the

questions you might have about
who these characters really are.

If there is some other person around that
is just like them.

Or if they are that person.

But it brings in the idea of someone else
out there that looks like you.

Does your work.

Perhaps there's some sort of replacement.

Feels a little bit like a body snatcher
story in a way.

But at the same time
there could also be that idea

that the character forgot
parts of themselves.

And their identity that have been left
dormant for whatever reason.

And then it also points to the fallibility
of human memory or recall.

And the way it's easy for us to forget.

Or when we play things back in our memory.

We start to equate people.

Maybe who represent similar things.

Maybe as the same person.

How many times have I told you?

Why are you talking so much?

Come on, say it.

If you don't say anything, it's over.

If you don't leave me alone, why should I
go?

I've forgotten you.

You've left me alone for two weeks.

And I'm talking to this empty man.

It's really interesting seeing
a director work with the

same sort of formatting and
devices across multiple films.

There are a lot of
directors that try to explore

a lot of different kinds
of storytelling devices.

And so it's really interesting to see a
director who keeps coming back...

I feel like one of the best recent
examples I have of this is the Japanese

director Shinte Yamaguchi, who deals with
time loops in a different way than Shiran

does, but he deals with this in two films,
Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes from 2020,

which was a lot of work.

It was all shot on an iPhone, as well as
the movie River from 2023.

And I just really enjoy
the fact that creatives can

find a way to do this without
feeling overly repetitive.

It's interesting, too, looking at
this scene unfold with Saura,

because there's clearly
something sinister here going on.

She and her husband have a strained
marriage.

She has been in this accident that perhaps
doesn't seem so much like an accident.

And yet there is this whimsy with her.

She's never worrying about the way she
smells under all of her bandages and this

barrier that she creates to figure out how
close she can get to people.

And then there's also this idea that she
can communicate with inanimate objects

that I really love, like when she asks the
door if it can open for her.

And I kind of like when something has so
many different elements playing at once.

There's humor.

There's something suspenseful and
sinister.

And then there's also just something
anxiety-inducing about these kinds of

interactions that we're
seeing here with all of

these people being
frustrated with each other.

It really gets my social anxiety going
when I watch things like this.

Ah, my What a filling cover You're.

painful right.

I love you Right Really That's All All You.

Now that we get to the next chapter,
I feel like we come into one of the main

settings of Black Rabbit, White Rabbit,
which is this production that's going on.

And this is where it starts to get very
meta, too, as the film is about a director

whose name is Sharam
directing a film outside of his

country while Sharam is
doing the exact same thing.

And I'm just a really big fan of just a
silly little guy like this.

You know, his films tend to be a little
bit on the longer side.

And I know sometimes
people have difficulty with

films feeling too long
or really taking their time.

I think especially with
a lot of studio films here

in America, we're used
to so much editing as well.

So I think that sometimes
almost helps with the

length of films because
it's constantly moving.

Sometimes the pacing is a little bit
better.

So it's really interesting to
see how his films just make

you sit with things and
continuously relive them as well.

Now, Abbas was one of his teachers and
really taught mockery a lot.

And clearly, the two were close.

In Abbas's last film, 24 Frames,
there's one frame that contains a tree.

And on the tree, he wrote
mockery's name, which

he basically took as
him passing the Baton.

He was putting something on his shoulders,
as he said, passing it to him.

And so he, from that
point, tried to pay particular

attention to Abbas
whenever he makes a film.

When talking about his mentor,
Abbas Kiarostami, he similarly follows in

his footsteps by starting to make films
outside of the country.

Kiarostami had a desire to make films
about women and romantic relationships

under normal circumstances,
which was something that

could never be done if
he stayed in the country.

And in turn, we see Sharam working with
that here, especially in Sara's case.

We really see that come into play when the
armorer enters, which is here,

Babak Karini.

Babak has been in several of his films,
including Fish and Cat, Careless Crime,

and one of the more well-known Iranian
films, Separation.

And Babak plays the armorer, so he is here
on set specifically to help with a shot

where they're going to be shooting a live
gun.

And continues to talk about the story
about his mentor who taught him,

but died in this tragic way.

You can really feel Makri put in his
relationship with Abbas here.

Now, when talking about
the film, Sharam mentions

that Black Rabbit, White
Rabbit is rabbit holes.

It's stories within
stories, constantly

diverging and going
down these different paths.

He also says it's about the mystery of
performance, illusion, as well as truth.

He says the idea at the heart of the script
has to do with the world and my profession.

The world of filmmaking, of cinema.

That sort of world, within a world,
within a world, within a world.

And there's so many good stories to tell
about that.

But he also says at the
same time he loves complex

cinematic structures,
like a non-linear storyline.

And he thinks that meta-films can be great
metaphors.

It can be a good way of working.

So really, it was these two ideas coming
together at the heart of the film.

It's about a filmmaker making a film.

It's about a filmmaker
making a film out of

his country, which is
exactly what he's doing.

And his mentor, Abbas, also played with
really similar ideas.

When talking about filming in Tajikistan,
Sharam mentions that it's still a country

in its infancy when it comes to the film
scene.

And hadn't even really thought about
things like working with extras.

He said that...

During the filmmaking, he has put a lot of
energy towards making sure the extras knew

their places, moved at
the right time, in the right

direction, didn't look at
the camera, and so on.

And he said it was his
biggest nightmare, as well

as one of the most
crucial parts of the film.

And when you hear that,
and think about the way that

he structures these films,
as these big, complex...

This is a complex
piece of architecture,

where everything has
to be timed so precisely.

On top of the fact that there are just so
many extras in this film, you really begin

to appreciate how much time and energy
went into this task alone.

Sharma said that explaining
his way of filmmaking, even

to those who are familiar
with his work, isn't easy.

And to those who are not familiar with his
filmmaking methods, it's a huge challenge.

To be quite frank, even doing this
commentary and trying to pull elements

from the screen to discuss are really hard,
because there is so much to make sense of.

I want to talk a little bit about the
puzzle box structure of his films.

So, Black Rabbit, White Rabbit...

Black Rabbit is a very intricate narrative
structure.

And Macri approaches this like creating a
puzzle.

He says that all of his features have
really complex structures.

So he's learned to first work
through the architecture, the

complex structure of the film,
and then through the narrative.

And work within the architecture to create
the narrative.

He also says that he begins
by composing the puzzles, and

thinking which stories can work
together to create this puzzle.

And only at that point does he start to
work through the narrative details.

The fourth story came to his mind was the
story of someone who works on a film set

and thinks that they might have a very bad
day.

Which, in a sense, is a portion of what
this film is about, for sure.

But thinking about that simple idea,
and creating something so complex as what

we're seeing right now, is just
mind-boggling to me.

I feel like I have absolutely no idea how
this man works.

It seems so much more complicated than I
could even dream of.

Now, one thing I found
really interesting was the

reason that he wanted
to work in another country.

And, you know, alluded
to this several times,

but there's a lot of
political upheaval in Iran.

And there's also a lot of
censorship that's related

to that, and the government
that's in place there.

Makri wanted to work in another country
was specifically around the limitations of.

what can be shown when it comes to the
experience of women.

In one interview, he talks
about how he became bored

making films that show women
not in normal circumstances.

Or making films where there's
a specific depiction of women

that isn't really natural to
how women in real life are.

And so he really wanted to show women
being normal.

Or in normal circumstances that they might
deal with in their country.

Yes, I want to watch it.

Do you know that Shahroum is filming one
film here?

What?

I'm telling you, he's from Iran, he's
filming one film here, and then he's leaving.

But you can make a film about me only for
this film.

Wait, wait, where are you going?

Can't you see that the actors are
rehearsing here?

Come around, please.

And don't let anyone into this part.

Gross.

Of course.

Who are you?

Me.

I see that your team and mine are good.

We'll see about that.

Which, amongst the many
issues Iran has as a country

in current events, a lot of
them revolve around gender.

The fact that girls are able to marry as
young as 13 years old, and can even be

married legally younger if they have
judicial or parental consent.

According to one recent statistic,
over 16,000 girls between the age of 10 or

14 have married, according to government
figures.

Under Iranian law, women and girls don't
have equal rights as men.

That comes into marriage, divorce,
custody, participation in public or

political life, the workforce,
in art.

And women and girls' testimonies at court
have no legal value for certain crimes.

And women and girls
are even entitled to less

compensation for
violation of their rights.

And then there are things like the law.

The law is designed to, quote,
support the family by promoting the

culture of chastity and hijab,
which was enforced in 2024.

The law consolidates measures in place to
enforce compulsory hijab and imposes

additional penalties, such as fines or
lengthy prison sentences.

And those who potentially go
against these laws may have even

more restrictions on employment,
educational opportunities.

Less than 14 percent of women participate
in the labor forces in Iran and can't work

in any fields that are, quote,
dangerous, arduous, or harmful.

Husbands can prevent their spouses from
pursuing occupations.

And then there are various exemptions for
husbands and other male family members who

kill or assault female relatives, which
includes what we know as honor killings.

There are only even 14 women currently
serving on their parliament out of 290 seats.

Under Iranian laws, all sexual intercourse
outside of marriage is illegal,

whether consensual or not, which means if
a woman is assaulted, she has to prove the

offense in court by
getting confession from the

perpetrator or a testimony
from four male witnesses.

That's why the woman's excuse has never
been given.

The ruling party is壁 of
ABU-SAHD, and the middle

And.

this is a normal situation.

Now, just a quick question.

Can you tell me more about your country's
gender?

This is my mother.

So you don't have a religion, right?

No.

No, there's a woman's body.

Your family is not a family.

In the U .S., my mother is a family.

So my mother is not a family.

And I am the wife of my mother,
but my husband is a father.

And I have a father.

Women have risen to the challenges that
they face in society and try to work

within different restrictions,
much like filmmakers in Iran work within

restrictions and Sharam
works in restrictions

with the structures
he creates in his films.

Women have found various ways to cope.

Some find ways to adopt management skills
within the home.

Really figuring out how
to track expenditures,

prioritize needs and make
extra money for their families.

There are also women who, because there
are so many limited job opportunities,

take that as a chance to seek out more
education and learn skills.

Taking workshops, doing vocational
training, higher education.

Which, in the event that
things change or there's more

job openings, they'll be
much more likely to contribute.

There's a lot of mutual aid that goes on
in the country as well.

Family, friends and neighbors sharing
resources.

Getting together, having a sense of
camaraderie.

Which, living in a country where we're
similarly dealing with different social

issues more and more, I think that sense
of community is so important.

Women also prioritize health and
well-being.

They have to take care of themselves and
their bodies because they know that their

health is crucial to helping their
families.

So taking care of themselves ultimately
means taking care of their loved ones.

They try to empower themselves,
finding creative ways to make money.

They play huge roles in a lot of the
protests.

There's a lot of protest going on in the
country.

And despite facing so many types of fines,
imprisonment, or violence against them,

many women have taken drastic measures.

Removing their headscarves
in public and trying to reclaim

agency over their bodies
and their right to choose.

Access to VPNs, social media, and finding
ways to support women.

To circumvent the different censorship and
content they're allowed to view online has

also been a huge win for women and other
young people in the country.

Talking about their lives, sharing their
businesses, sharing their stories about

harassment and violence,
and giving other people

a sense of what's really
going on in the country.

We've prepared a casting for you.

Lakri describes Iran as a land of rich
literature, full of myth and legends.

A place that enjoys a four-season climate
and has a huge filmmaking history.

So there is a lot of beautiful natural and
social elements to the country,

despite the fact that there is this
authoritarian government looming over them.

Now the Iranian film scene really gained
traction with the Iranian new wave,

which started in the 1960s and has
continued getting more and more popularity

through the 90s and 2000s with films like
A Separation.

They're constantly pushing boundaries,
questioning what is foundational and

essential about cinema,
expanding aesthetics, and

showing themselves as a
really unique storytelling force.

One, two, three.

One, two, three.

Machia.

In contemporary Iranian film events,
in 2025 there were calls across the film

industry, to end state censorship,
with 13 different trade unions joining

directors and screenwriters and demanding
the abolition of film production permits

and pre-production control imposed by
government bodies.

These unions represented cinematographers,
actors, production designers, sound

recordists, editors, photographers,
makeup artists.

And they backed a statement by the Iranian
film director, the Director's Association,

condemning the state censorship.

For.

those that aren't as fluent in Iranian
films, some more contemporary films are

things like The Salesman, Women Without
Men, It Was Just an Accident from this

past year, Seed of the Sacred Fig from
2024.

And a personal favorite of mine,
Holy Spider from 2022, by director Ali

Abbasi, which focuses on the rise and fall
of the real Iranian serial killer,

Saeed Hanay, who murdered 16 sex workers
in their holy city of Mashhad.

If you have not seen, I highly recommend
especially talking about some of the

different issues, in regards to turmoil
women face.

Despite the fact that this man was a
brutal serial killer, he also found a huge

following across the country,
because he was attacking

these women that were
thought of as unseemly.

And the film contains a lot of elements
that are regarded as taboo by the Iranian

censors, things like prostitution,
drug abuse and depictions of sex.

The film had to be shot entirely in Amman,
Jordan.

But Abbasi really wanted to tackle the
topic of misogynistic roots in his homeland.

And it's a really beautiful film
that delves into some of these

political issues in a really
important and interesting way.

The.

richness of the culture
of Iran is something

that even predates
the Islamic theocracy.

The ancient Greece described the area as
the cosmopolitanism of the Persians.

Now, Iranian film history is quite
lengthy, spanning about 110 years.

And it's a long story.

During the 1940s, one of the ways that the
film scene stayed afloat was by dubbing

many of the films that came to the
country.

So Hollywood productions were dominating
the screens.

But at the time, a huge
portion of the Iranian population

was illiterate and weren't
able to read subtitles.

So dubbing became essential for people to
experience films from other countries.

And ultimately, a lot of dubbing studios
were established in the country,

starting in the 1940s.

The Iranian film industry really grew
rapidly in the 50s and 60s.

Many studios were established,
theaters built.

By 1965, there were 72 movie theaters in
Tehran alone.

One of the big successes in the country
was a film known as Ganja Quran,

which grossed over the equivalent of 1
million U.S.

dollars.

And the theme of the film concerned the
worthless and desperate life of the upper

middle class, in contrast
with the poor and happy

working class, which
is, quote, rich and morals.

So a very interesting perspective for them
to have.

The boom that occurred
in the film scene in the

60s and 70s was also
not just with narrative films.

There were several larger documentaries
that became popular.

And considering how much of fiction and
reality plays a role in many of the films

of Iranian cinema, it makes a lot of
sense.

The themes that were very popular at the
time were dance, music, and really

simplistic dramas, as well as Persianized
versions of Western films.

And we also see some of the roots of
Sharam's work, and how it relates to the

cinematic voice of the Iranian film
industry.

And we also see some of the roots of
Sharam's work, and how it relates to the

cinematic voice of the Iranian film
industry.

One very notable film from the 60s was The
Night of the Hunchback, which is a very

magical, realist film based on one
thousand and one nights.

And by the 70s, you see a real boom.

The 70s was a special decade for Iranian
cinema, and the 70s saw the height of the

Shah's confidence in his social and
political successes.

And because the government felt so
powerful at the time, the regime even

allowed the making of films with some
critical social themes.

Schools that were started in the 60s
started having their first graduates,

so you have a really robust generation of
new filmmakers.

And a lot of important filmmakers emerged
from the pre-revolutionary era there.

And these young filmmakers showed a real
interest in the film industry.

They showed interest in avant-garde forms
of cinema, which makes sense for the time,

too, being inspired by the different New
Wave movements in other countries that

came before, including Parvus Kimiyavi,
best known for his film Mongols from 1973,

which allegorized the
cultural imperialism of TV by

comparing that situation to
the invasion of the Mongols.

And then there was Biram Bazai,
a groundbreaking Iranian New Wave

director, known for his 1972 film
Downpour.

In the 70s is also
when Shahram's mentor,

Abbas Karastami,
really establishes himself.

His film The Report, which came out in
1978, was one of the last films that

screened before the revolution started in
1978.

And that's when the film was first
released, in 1979.

I particularly love this scene because not
only does this become a very

self-referential film
where it gets meta, He

also starts making
fun of himself a little bit.

As these people are talking, it's like,
why is this too long?

This like circle of light doesn't make any
sense.

You can definitely see how these are
things people might be asking behind the

scenes that are familiar with his work or
kind of his vision, but also with critics

and audiences who maybe have a hard time
getting under those different layers.

Here they talk about just general issues
that women have with their husbands,

but they don't really talk to too much.

It's just kind of the women here give each
other a look, and they know what it means,

even though maybe some of
the men in the room are a little

more clueless when it comes
to the plight of women in Iran.

And going back to 60s and 70s history in
Iran, this is also a little bit of a story.

So where you start to
see the cinema landscape

exploring politics through
symbolic language.

But also, unfortunately, like happens with
many repressive governments, there are

filmmakers from Iran during this time that
were forced to leave the country because

of the political and cultural
circumstances.

And those who stayed really
tried to take the opportunity

to use that censorship
to create something new.

And working in those rough restrictions.

And in the 90s is when Iranian cinema
really enjoys its global success.

Many of these films becoming festival
darlings all over the world.

And that also proves
to be a really big image

enhancer that was needed
for the Islamic Republic.

Because of the political and social issues
going on in the country, the fact that

they were becoming so
highly regarded for their artistic

endeavors was a really
big boom for the country.

And there was a period in the country's
history where it was unclear if cinema

would have a place
in the Islamic regime,

considering it was
considered a Western toxin.

clueless when it comes to this.

But as people in power happened to be fans
of certain Iranian films, they gave

permission for cinema to have a place in
the Islamic Republic.

They say that Iranian filmmakers use their
cameras as weapons.

That their art is a form of resistance.

The fact is that one of the films on the
screen was killed in the same way.

It's not a myth.

It was probably Antonia's idea.

Antonia was the one who killed Antonia.

I don't know about that.

I think I know what you're talking about.

Come on, come on, come on.

Where?

Come on, over there.

Oh, sure.

Don't be afraid.

One of the things you should remember is
that...

He who doesn't know, he's dead.

What?

Come on, come on, come on.

Don't worry, we'll be back.

Come to another very iconic scene,
in which we see a bunch of the different

props that are being used on set have a
conversation with each other.

It brings to mind the rock scene in
Everything, Everywhere, All at Once quite

a bit, but I like that we
have so many of these

different objects having
discourse around each other.

And while it's not totally explored in
this film, it brings about an idea that I

find really interesting about places or
objects holding...

holding trauma of the different events
that occurred.

So this revolver having, in a sense,
a memory of something that happened to it

years and years ago, seeking vengeance
just like a human would.

Since the 1979 Islamic Resolution,
the Ministry of Culture and Islamic

Guidance have exercised control over
filmmaking.

From script development and casting...

posters and promotional
materials... and even which

actors' images can
appear in advertising or not.

Now, the Republic has set a lot of restrictions
on what kind of content is forbidden.

And these are things like showing women's
hair to unmarried men and women touching

it affectionately... anything risqué...
and even though the government's

government has put many restrictions on
the film industry and has made it harder

and harder for filmmakers to explore the
kind of content they want to because of

the way Iranian cinema has
been regarded over the years,

they continue to support
the film industry regardless.

And while censorship is certainly an
issue, some also believed that these

obstacles helped the creativity of the
filmmakers.

We talk about Iranian current events.

And there are a lot of people who believe
that there is hope for the things

happening in the country
right now because of

how impactful a lot of
the protests have seen.

But also the scale of violence deployed by
the Iranian security forces against

protesters have been staggering,
as they have been for years.

And so ruling with an iron fist and being
unyielding towards protesters,

is a bit of ...is a
huge part of what the

government has done
for years and years here.

So even with the hope that things might
change, you can also see why people might

be skeptical that this is just an moment
where things are once again repeating.

And unfortunately,
the regional powers that

be are focused on
preserving the status quo.

And they are trying to
deter the United States from

intervening and assisting
in regime change operations.

Can't imagine why.

And concerns about the regional turmoil
are really understandable.

The Middle East has been plagued by years
of war in various countries.

Most of the regional powers and countries
are wary of mass protests.

So what's happening
in Iran is not dissimilar

what's happened to other
countries in the region.

Many of them do the same thing.

They criminalize the dissents.

They frame protests as a foreign
conspiracy.

And they do what they can
to preserve the power that

they have and prevent
meaningful change from happening.

But the country currently, as of recording
this, is in dire straits.

There's crippling inflation, military
defeats, the succession crisis,

the threat of American intervention.

And unfortunately, that means cracking
down on protesters.

In these most recent
protests, there's an estimated

2,000 people who
have already been killed.

But some have also stated that Iran is
undergoing the most dramatic upheaval

since the 1979 revolution, which is, well,
that's just the beginning of its history.

And so, in many ways, we can see how the
idea of history repeating itself might

even play a very subtle role in the films
he's creating.

And now, what model have you brought?

The Rodeo, the one who has been shot and
has not been shot.

Why the Rodeo?

Because, my dear, in life, I've seen what
I was seeing.

But.

unfortunately, the government's
history of cracking down

and becoming more and more
restrictive follows it to today.

In 2009, the prominent
director Jafar Panahi

was arrested for
attending demonstrations.

In 2012, the government shut down the
House of Cinema, which was basically the

equivalent of the Academy of Motion
Pictures of Arts and Science in the country.

And later, his film, This Is Not a Film,
dealt with many of the restrictive issues

he dealt with, as the film
was about a director under

house arrest awaiting the
appeal of his prison sentence.

The film was made because the regime had
forbidden him from making films for 20

years, and his way around that was to
appear in the film itself.

He wasn't writing or directing.

So, appearing in front of the camera,
in his mind, would be totally fine.

And by trying to sell it as some sort of
filmmaker, as actor in a documentary,

like fiction, he really did
what he could to try to get

around some of the laws
forbaying him to pursue his passions.

This Is Not a Film was smuggled out of
Iran to the Cannes Film Festival.

And was able to get distribution all over
the world.

And here we really see a common theme in
Iranian films that are a staple of

Shahram's work as well, which is the
blending of fiction and documentary.

Blurring those lines.

Stories within stories.

Sarah's story, initially, we think it is
just us following this woman, and then we

realise that it is part of a production,
much like a lot of other elements.

Most of the two musical characters get
together on set.

Sarah's later many similar よ academy I
have no idea what these people are doing

and the way the Iranian film industry has
been affected by it.

He also said that U.S.

sanctions on Iran have made it really
difficult to transfer money and assets

between the Iranian banks and other
countries, which means it's really

difficult for joint ventures and
production to happen.

...

Amal Aran has a really unique voice in the
realm of cinematic history.

It's not the only country that has dealt
with repressive governments and artistic

freedoms and censorship that has found
interesting ways to be creative.

For instance, in the United States,
we had the Hays Code, which had a very

strict outline about what could be shown
on screen.

And specifically, it had to follow certain
moral guidelines.

Not showing nudity, or profanity,
or sex.

Making sure that the good guy always wins
in the end.

Not having villains win.

And some of those moralistic
conversations are ones that

seem to be coming back around,
even in the United States now.

So again, we see how these views come and
go and continue across time and space.

But then you also have the Czech New Wave
movement in the 1960s, which was another

really bold experimental period of
filmmaking.

And a lot of the films
that were being made at

the time focused on
social and political issues.

Going on in communist Czech.

And many directors,
again, had to leave the

country because of strict
laws and persecution.

The popular filmmaker
Vera Kitiulova is a great

example of a woman
directing during that time.

As well as someone whose film,
Daisies, was banned by the government.

And she wasn't allowed to...

make films for several years in the
country because of it.

And then in the 1970s, you have Spain's
post-Franco film scene.

Once the Franco dictatorship ended and the
rigid censorship laws were no longer in

place, simply showing
graphic violence or

sex on screen was a
really big political act.

In fact, just recently, there was a great
documentary that came out about this

period called Exorcismo, which is narrated
by Iggy Pop and directed by Alberto

Cedano, which we actually featured in
Brooklyn Horror Fest in 2024.

And the documentary talks about these
classified S films, as they called them.

Sebrin actually has a box set that includes
the documentary with some of these films.

So another great example of films coming
out of a repressive government.

And similarly, in Italy, the years of
lead, as they were referred to,

which was a period of social and political
turmoil in the country that lasted for

about 20 years, starting
in the 60s, which was

marked by huge
political acts of terrorism.

And there was a lot of films that were
dedicated to...

showing the violence, crime, corruption
and political strains that were going on.

Censorship always creeps its head into the
film scene.

And either when freed from such
restrictions or during them, filmmakers

and artists are always finding new ways to
challenge.

And it really is a great example of how
art is always political.

And especially in Iran, you
can feel how fueled by politics

and social issues everything
is, even if it isn't explicit.

Mina.

Something about his films too,
because it has all of these different

stories that seemingly
aren't connected at first,

they almost feel like a
collection of short stories.

Fish and Cat is very
similar, as we followed

these different
characters wading around.

But they're also telling stories with
voiceovers.

So here it's very similar, where we get
all of these different stories.

We see them happening through different
points of view.

Three of Sharam's short films are also
included.

The earliest being The Dragonfly Storm.

Which, if you end up watching
that one, or have already,

there's a lot more cuts in
that one than is typical work.

So you really don't see that style of the
one-shot come into play.

The tone of a lot of Macri's work also
reminds me of two short story authors.

Eckhart Carrot, who's a writer from
Israel, who wrote books like Suddenly a

Knock at the Door, The Bus Driver That
Wanted to Be God, and Seven Good Years.

As well as George Saunders,
an American writer, who has

short story collections like
Pastoralia or Tenth of December.

And there's something about the whimsical
nature of these films.

And the way Sharam is portrayed.

And how Sharam's films begin to feel like
short stories, particularly this one.

With how we're taken
down these long rabbit

holes into a story that
is within another story.

Mr. Babak.

Babak?

Yes?

Are you okay?

What happened?

You should be fine.

Where are the others?

I don't know.

They went to the Maidana.

And it's interesting, too, in this film,
and ones like Fish and Cat, where not only

do we see the same event
happen multiple times,

we also see it from
different perspectives.

Or an event that happened
in the foreground later

is happening in the
background, or vice versa.

It really gives you this very full picture
of the entire world that he's built.

In an article entitled The Cinematic Time
Loops of Sharam Makhri, the writer makes a

point that Makhri's temporal loops
condense differing perspectives into a

single shot as if to establish a shared
memory.

A collective consciousness, if you will.

Showing us that there's
always more, than just our

singular understanding
of the events that occur.

The main storylines of
this film being the armorer

who suspects a prop gun
might be out for revenge.

An actor who seeks a part in a film who
may or may not exist.

A woman haunted by the idea that her car
crash wasn't an accident.

And we have all of these very strange stories
coming together and blending into one.

He says that in Black Rabbit, White
Rabbit, we are again reenacting the past

in present, but in a way to make present
and past indistinguishable from each other.

But, in a way, it's a
reenactment of the past

that is probably
missing from the present.

But, in a way, it's a reenactment of the
past.

Because our images are less, less,
less visualized.

Or much, much more, less visualized than
before.

Exactly.

I was thinking, did you have a resistance
to it?

Because of the fact that in Black Rabbit,
the action takes place in a manner of

Bijan, tell the girls to go back to their
places.

Yes, we are ready.

Girls, go back to your places quickly.

Manzar, what happened?

Manzar!

Now, Shahram's mentor,
the boss, Kiarostami,

was someone who also
had a lot of metafilms.

And, as Shahram himself
says, his films are often

about acting or the
process of making films.

And so he takes that, and he said,
with Black Rabbit, White Rabbit,

he wanted to look through the lens of
making a film about making a film,

or being a filmmaker making a film about a
filmmaker making a film.

And hoping that he's able to pursue that
direction in the right way and really pay

homage and an ode to the man that he is
such a huge fan of.

And one of the realities
that Shahram really gets

right is just the truly
chaotic nature of the film set.

How many elements are going on at once.

The armorer is trying so hard to do his
job, and even the people that seem to be

helming the production either aren't
around.

They constantly mention Shahram being
somewhere else, not being on set yet,

going off, making last minute changes.

And then you have people
like this producer who tend to

shirk responsibility, or pass
the Baton to someone else.

So I've talked about MC Escher a little
bit so far, but I want to explore him and

his works a little bit more in detail
because I think that it ties so much to

Sharam Makhri's work and you can see how
these creatives who ended up working in

different fields with different mediums
ended up having so much in common.

So Escher was born in 1898.

His full name, Maritzis Cornelius Escher.

And if you don't know the name,
like just from the top of your head.

If you just do a quick Google search,
you'll immediately know his works.

For some reason, I always
equate them with grade school,

seeing them in a lot of picture
books when I was younger.

Escher made 448
lithographs, woodcuts and wood

engravings, and more than
2000 drawings and sketches.

And he plays with architecture,
perspective and impossible spaces.

He started out going to
architecture school and

switching gears because he
wanted to pursue art so much.

And similarly, Sharam talks about his
films architecture really frequently.

Escher was renowned for his use of
intricate patterns, optical illusions,

and they often involved mathematic and
scientific concepts.

And his most famous works
are what they call his impossible

drawings, such as the ascending
and descending, and relativity.

Hey, what's your name?

Mr. Waidov.

I think my Feinstein is somewhere here,
but it's there right now.

I checked this week.

The construction company is behind the
scenes.

I'm not a comedian.

I talked to Antonio.

I'm sorry.

Do you know what happened in America to
Alec Baldwin?

Yes, you're right.

He was shot in the head.

Okay.

You have to apologize to everyone.

Or I'll be left with a body.

Don't worry.

Nassim won't take your film.

I'm tired of your acting.

Go and take a rest.

You're tired.

The ways in which Macri's work and M.C.

Escher's work are similar are really
fascinating.

Escher's work has dealt with themes around
challenging people's perception of space

and reality, creating
impossible constructions,

and weaving together
various perspectives.

His works also explore the ideas of a
self-referential paradox, the limits of

human perception and the subjective nature
of reality, combining mathematics,

physics, and art to create illusions of
movement and transformation, contemplating

things like the cycle of life,
and things just seemingly morphing into

each other, this seamless fluidity
throughout his work.

And I think similarly you can say all of
that is here in Black Rabbit, White

Rabbit, but most of Schramm's work as
well.

Escher creates impossible
structures that shift perspectives

and embrace the subject nature
of our experience as humans.

He was very influenced by science and
mathematics, but his artwork ended up

inspiring different fields as well,
including the field of topology.

And like a lot of artists
similar in his time,

Escher struggled to gain
recognition during his life.

And his work didn't really become highly
regarded and celebrated until years later.

And that's by Arten Thunisius and
mathematicians alike.

Some of his more popular works are ones
called Relativity, which showcases a

complex network of stairs and
architectural elements that defy gravity

and are designed to challenge the viewer's
perception of space.

And it's a really great example of this,
these impossible constructions that he

makes, weaving together various perspectives
to create these mind-boggling effects.

Another similarity between him and Schramm
as Schramm constantly weaves various

perspectives and we
see the same scenes from

various people's points
of view as the film goes on.

Another one of his famous works was
Drawing Hands, which depicts a pair of

hands that appear to be drawing one
another.

And that work explores the idea of
infinite recursion, where each hand is

simultaneously the drawer and the drawn,
creating a self-referential paradox that

speaks to the nature of creation and
artistic expression.

And... because Schramm's films often feel
like these big time loops where we see one

event happen, falling into the next event,
but then somehow that event happens before

the one before it, it has a similar kind
of optical illusion effect.

Another of his famous works, Ascending and
Descending, which features a group of

figures walking up and down staircases
that seem to lead nowhere.

And it draws attention
to the limits of human

perception and the
subjective nature of reality.

Again, Schramm constantly challenging our
perception of reality.

It's a more reserved form of observation
than anyone else.

And then, as we're looking at the novel,
we have to see the face of the book.

And it really shows that this is a kind of
fictional fantasy.

But there's a very particular story about
this.

Which is a little bit about the leader of
Saurabh.

See?

In these moments
where the film gets really

meta and we end up
seeing behind the scenes.

You really begin to appreciate how magical
making a film is, how difficult making a

film is, even if you're not someone as
meticulous as Shiram.

There are so many people, so many moving
elements.

So many conflicting priorities.

Do you know how difficult it was for my
mother to come to this set?

She's shooting in the third studio.

I'm not sure if it was
the third studio, but the

last three nights I
clearly saw her sleeping.

You know, I just adore her.

Even my friends joke about it sometimes.

If she's in the third studio, I'll
definitely go there and look at her.

Do you know how difficult it was for my
mother to come to this set?

Wait, is that Akai Bubak?

Yes.

Let's go, I want to see your costume.

Shiram says that when he was talking about
Black Rabbit, White Rabbit, he was very

careful not to provide
any spoilers, so it

made it a little bit
difficult to talk about.

And it makes sense, once you've seen the
film, it's understandable why it's hard to

talk about it without revealing some of
the mystery elements that are revealed.

And he said that with this
film, again, they continued

to explore what is
understood by remaking it.

In the context of the
story, the filmmaker

Shiram is remaking a
popular Iranian series.

Akai Bubak!

And then we see multiple scenes being
replayed and redone before us.

And... The way their films are composed of
these single-shot one-takes, it gives it a

circular format in the way that actors
move about the set.

Things kind of spiral and continue to kind
of come back to each other.

It also challenges our perception of time
and space in this movie.

It's hard to say what
the linear timeline is in

terms of the events that
are occurring before us.

Which is part of the point.

And in terms of history, it's an
interesting element because we often

discuss or talk about history repeating
itself.

In the story here, the armorer is trying
to stop a gun from seeking revenge.

Years later.

And trying to prevent him or someone else
from getting hurt on set.

Much like the way his
predecessor died in front

of him when he was
much younger in his career.

When you look at the country of Iran
itself as a country that for years has

been trying to fight against repressive
governments.

And these protests being continuously shot
down.

And people beaten back into submission.

It is understandable
why the idea of history

repeating itself can
feel scary at times.

Did you get a sunstroke?

And you don't know how to get out of
there?

You're a movie star to me.

Hey, dad.

Do you have a job for me?

Yes, I have a problem.

I wanted to talk to you.

Go ahead.

I brought a series of accessories.

Now I don't know who to talk to.

I have another location there.

I have to take a series of things.

And then there's the issue of this movie.

I don't know what it is.

I don't know what to do with it.

How did you find out about it?

Sharom.

Didn't Sharom come to ask you about it?

He came with an idea.

He was just checking the clothes of the
actor.

I see.

Wait a minute.

Please.

Can I talk to you for a second?

Please take a look at this too.

Wait a minute.

A car.

He wants to give a gift to Parviz.

If you don't want a fire, don't leave
Kebri and Tocho alone.

If you want a car, take a car.

But I don't have money.

I live in the field.

You don't have money.

Everything is fine.

I like it.

I hope I get to do it.

I get it.

I get what you mean.

But in general, you did well.

Is this the same one?

No.

Not this one.

The direct one.

How did you get it?

It's the same one.

Where is it?

And one of the things that Shiram mentions
in an interview is the enduring beauty of

Iranian cinema, its power to express
social and political truths through

ambiguity and poetry, he says I think the
unique aesthetics and refinements of

Iranian cinema have very much to do with
our culture, a culture that is so complex

in the sense that nothing
is just at face value,

nothing is as simple
as what it appears to be.

There's always something deeper,
there's always details, symbols,

images that pervade every aspect of their
culture.

And so he says that he
thinks when it comes to

cinema, it makes it
refined and multi-layered.

And considering how his films seem like
they might have a simple story,

like for example this one about someone
potentially have a really bad day on a

film set, there's clearly so much more
than that and so many more details that

are woven throughout the film and lots of
symbolism, lots of references.

And mysteries that feel
unexplained and strange like this giant

cup the armorer is following
as he is walking through sets.

And I'd just like to pause here quick,
because I really love the way you see some

of the different scenes
converging and also

getting a little bit more
of that fourth world.

We are all broken.

You were working in Hayat.

A girl told me to bring the bed here.

She had a question.

I didn't give you the cigarette that was
there.

Where did you take it from?

Parveen!

Parveen!

Bring your bag.

At least let me know what's going on.

Is the reaction right?

Yes, it is.

I'll be back.

Don't you trust your game?

It's your habit of not working.

Why don't you give me a movie script?

Why are we so busy now?

During the film, we see
the armorer trying his best to

potentially prevent something
really terrible from happening.

The fact that they even cite the tragic,
accidental shooting on the set with Aleph

Baldwin really puts
into perspective just how

important his job is and
how seriously he takes it.

But unfortunately for him, it feels almost
impossible for him to do the work he's

supposed to do because of very simple and
silly things like not having an ID to get

on set that he needs and not being able to
find the right person who has the ID.

You can see how quickly
the chain of command can

fall apart when there's
a lack of communication.

And on big productions like this,
it has to happen all the time.

And while it might not be intentional,
that also makes me think of films that are

about the sometimes ineffective and
perplexing ways that the government can work.

Things like In the Loop.

Or... Shin Godzilla.

A lot of those are about, you know,
the government being very fallible and

oftentimes ridiculous in what they're
doing.

And so it's easy to wonder if,
while not a glaring theme on the surface,

if that's perhaps another
one of these hidden elements

underneath that Shram is
trying to express in this film.

It also makes you appreciate... how...
where you begin a story... can really tell

you so much about what's going on... or
how little information..

you might not have.

In his short films... like the...
Dragonfly Storm...

Shram's music.

You continuously see... events...
moving... around.

You continuously see events happen,
and then as the film progresses,

it shows you more and more of what
happened before then.

So going into that non-linear storytelling
that he's such a big fan of.

One particular article I found mentions
that the way he does multiple perspectives

is the long-awaited This is the third
counterpart to the, quote, Rashomon

effect, which emphasizes the unknowability
of reality or various points of view by

showing different characters and how they
perceive the same event in different ways.

An example here being when the girl is
having her costume fixed and we see it

from the perspective inside
of the costume where it

looks like she has entered
into this other world.

And then we see it from the perspective of
someone that's just an onlooker who would

just see two people underneath this dark
cloak together in front of everyone.

And so you don't get to see this conversation
or magical element in the same way.

And the fact that our young actress has a
background as a magician and is the one

that makes the rabbits appear and makes
herself disappear even at one point,

makes her feel
essential to the magical

elements and Escher-esque
elements of the film.

It is lovely when you finally get to see
it.

You see the rabbits make their various
appearances throughout the film.

Both as real life cute,
adorable rabbits and these

slightly unsettling humans
in rabbit head costumes.

Well, everyone who walks the
path, everyone who walks the

path, walk slowly so that
your voice doesn't get too loud.

Now the scene that I have shown you in the
monitor, we are going to practice it.

For everyone, either I am
the one who speaks a little

bit and someone else is
shooting from the other side.

May it be you, or I am the one who is
shooting.

Ladies, ladies, you are six people.

You are seven people.

Is that enough?

Is that enough?

Public discontent with the regime will
continue to manifest and intensify because

the Iranian government
continues to not solve

many of the underlying
issues in the country.

Things that would be necessary to actually
restructure.

To act as a resistance organization.

...their political economy and create
relief for many Iranian people.

Instead, the government tries to use
propaganda and indoctrination campaigns to

re-ideologize the Iranian people and try
to renew their commitment to the regime's

principles as opposed to making any actual
change.

They argue things like the United States
is waging economic and psychological war

against Iran and responsible for the poor
domestic...

And while there is of course the hope that
things will get better and real important

change will be made that will help many of
those living in Iran, there is also the

possibility that the regime could get even
harsher intensifying the repression.

In the scene towards the end here,
we also see an Esher painting in the

background as the armorist is running
around.

...the world is going to be destroyed.

...the world is going to be destroyed.

So Iranian filmmakers continue to make
films both in their country and others

feel the need to escape
ideological control and some of

them have even faced prison
sentences upon returning home.

This year, four Iranian films were
competing for the Academy Award for Best

International Feature and the only one
that was actually represented by the

Islamic Republic was Cause of Death
Unknown by Ali.

Although two films, one from Iranian
director Jafar Panahi, It Was Just an

Accident, as well as the film The Voice of
Hin Rajab, were nominated in the category.

As of yet, those winners have not been
decided.

Considering the turmoil
in the Middle East, having

those voices represented
feels incredibly important.

And I love the end of the
film here where we begin to

wrap up some of the other
stories and come back to Sarah,

who's uncovered the
fact that her husband tried

to kill her and is hell-bent
on getting revenge.

Using this gun that may or may not have
been meant for her.

And considering the many issues that women
in Iran have faced and continue to face,

it does feel revolutionary to have this
end with her and allowing her to get some

semblance of revenge
after being cooped up and

suffering for so long under
this very unhappy marriage.

Are you afraid?

Of who?

Don't touch me.

Don't touch me.

I know that you broke my car.

And the shorts that are included as
special features on this release are

really so incredible in the way they
showcase his growth as a director.

For The Dragonfly Storm, you see same
events from different perspectives.

You're slowly given more and more
information.

You have this non-linear storytelling.

Even very silly, sort
of whimsical elements

like getting the point
of view of the dragonfly.

Then you have Limit the Circle,
which comes back to the long takes.

And is set in a film slash performing arts
school.

And has a similar dream-like
quality to his films of these

loops of time and events
kind of falling in on each other.

Han really challenges the ideas about what
is play and what is real life.

And Nashim mentions
that Limit the Circle

is really the blueprint
for his future work.

And then you have Andesie, from 2007,
which is also based on an M.C.

Escher painting, which
deals with strained

relationships, strained
marital relationships.

You have multiple screens going on at
once, all with one-shot takes,

dealing with mistaken identities and these
cyclical contained universes.

So when you watch them together,
with his latest work, you really get a

beautiful portrait of how
he's grown as a filmmaker

and how so many of the
ideas he's had have evolved.

And how he contributes to the reputation
and structure and look of Iranian cinema,

but at something that's entirely new.

And here at the end of the film,
we see Sara get revenge on her repression.

And then here we also see
our magician slash actress-to-be,

and she also receives
freedom in her own right.

Thank you all so much for listening to
this commentary track for Black Rabbit,

White Rabbit.

I hope that you enjoyed this exploration
of Iranian cinema, Iranian history and

current events, and of course,
Sharam Malkari's work.

If you haven't checked out some of the
other special features, including the

short films I talked a little
bit about, as well as the

writing about Sharam and
his work, I really suggest it.

And continue to enjoy and to suggest that
people explore other Iranian cinema,

pay attention to politics and current
events going on there.

I think Sharam does a really beautiful job
at exploring cyclical nature of life and

history, the oftentimes blurred lines
between reality and fiction, especially

thinking about the propaganda that is
often used so frequently in Iran.

Having a sense of truth
and trying to understand how

subjective truth often
is, is often very difficult.

And I think he explores that in really
interesting ways that don't feel

necessarily heavy, like other directors
might tackle the same kind of subject matter.

There's an element of
whimsy and holding the

good and the bad and
the weird all together.

And I think he really excels at that.

So thank you again for taking the time and
enjoy the rest of the release.