Asghar Farhidi’s About Elly, shown this week at MovieNight, is a powerful and gripping drama which provided us with a crystal clear portal into Iran’s middle class. On the face of it, they seem to be rather like us here in the west: this was a pleasure-seeking weekend getaway from the big city to the beach, with a cast made up of beautiful people. All surprisingly familiar… until disaster strikes.

Now, we see significant cultural differences. There is much about honor and respect at issue, and the strict division between sexes comes back into play. What started as a match-making game has ended in tragedy, and lie upon lie is told in an attempt to bury this indiscretion. Fascinating.

More about this film on IMDb