Schedule Of Events

January 17, 2025

7:00pm to 9:45pm : The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Directed by Mohammad Rasoulof (Germany and France, 2024, 168 min.). Farsi with English subtitles. Iranian director and dissident Mohammad Rasoulof, now a fugitive wanted by authorities in his own country, arrived this year at Cannes with a daring and provocative film that captures the extraordinary drama of his personal plight and the deep suffering of his homeland. Shot entirely in secret, Rasoulof’s thriller centers on a family thrust into the public eye when patriarch Iman is appointed as an investigating judge in Tehran. As political unrest erupts in the streets, Iman realizes his job is even more dangerous than expected, making him increasingly paranoid and distrustful, even of his own wife and daughters. The Seed of the Sacred Fig competed for the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, winning the Special Jury Award.

January 24, 2025

7:00pm to 8:45pm : My Favorite Cake

Directed by Maryam Moghadam and Behtash Sanaeeha (Iran, France, Sweden, and Germany, 2024, 97 min.). Farsi with English subtitles. In this charming romantic comedy, 70-year-old Mahin (Lily Farhadpour) has lived alone in Tehran since her husband’s death and her daughter’s departure for Europe, until an afternoon tea with friends leads her to break her solitary routine and revitalize her love life. But as Mahin opens herself up to new romance, what begins as an unexpected encounter quickly evolves into an unpredictable, unforgettable evening. My Favorite Cake competed for the Golden Bear for Best Film at this year’s Berlin Film Festival, winning the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) prize.

January 25, 2025

2:30pm to 5:00pm : The Stranger and the Fog

Directed by Baharam Beyzaie (Iran, 1974, 146 min.). Farsi with English subtitles. Freshly restored by the Film Foundation, the sophomore feature from legendary Iranian New Wave director Bahram Beyzaie possesses both the epic dimensions of myth and the hallucinatory atmosphere of a dream. Set around the northern coast of Iran, The Stranger and the Fog begins with a boat drifting toward the shore of a small village. The beautiful Rana (Parvaneh Massoumi) hopes the stray vessel has brought back her husband, who disappeared at sea a year ago. But the only passenger is Ayat (Khosrow Shojazadeh), a wounded stranger with no memory of how he ended up in this land. After gradually proving himself as a member of the community, Ayat upsets the locals by marrying Rana, then grows increasingly paranoid about intermittently glimpsed figures vowing to avenge his misdeeds from a forgotten past.

January 31, 2025

7:00pm to 8:30pm : Universal Language

Directed by Matthew Rankin (Canada, 2024, 89 min.). Farsi and French with English subtitles. With nods to the stylistic precision of Iranian and French New Wave films, this absurd and cozy comedy from director Matthew Rankin is set in an alternative version of Winnipeg where Farsi is the official language. Its world is populated by odd characters whose lives interweave in surprising and mysterious ways, creating a surreal comedy of misdirection that gently subverts the rules of time and space. Universal Language is Canada’s Oscar entry for Best International Feature Film, and won of the Audience Award at Cannes Fortnight.

February 1, 2025

2:30pm to 4:30pm : My Stolen Planet

Directed by Farahnaz Sharifi (Iran and Germany, 2024, 82 min.). Farsi with English subtitles. My Stolen Planet is a diary-style documentary by Iranian filmmaker Farahnaz Sharifi. Born during the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Sharifi offers a personal narrative that juxtaposes moments of private joy with public defiance, highlighting the contrast between domestic freedom and external oppression. Utilizing Super 8 films, she documents her daily life and collects 8mm archives from strangers, crafting an alternative history of Iran. The 2022 "Women, Life, Freedom" uprising emerges as a powerful moment of collective resistance, deeply resonating with Sharifi's personal journey and the struggles of countless others in Iran. My Stolen Planet serves as a homemade history, blending intimate experiences with broader socio-political themes.

February 2, 2025

2:30pm to 4:15pm : Dead End

Directed by Parviz Sayyad (Iran, 1977, 95 min.). Farsi with English subtitles. Directed by Parviz Sayyad, a groundbreaking voice in Iranian cinema renowned for his incisive critiques of social and political issues, Dead End unfolds as a seemingly simple love story between a young woman and a mysterious stranger who appears at her window. Beneath this intimate encounter lies a taut exploration of the unspoken tensions within 1970s Iranian society. Mary Apick delivers a powerful performance that earned her the Best Actress award at the Moscow International Film Festival, adding depth to a film that captures a vividly Westernized Iran on the cusp of profound political and cultural change.

February 7, 2025

7:00pm to 8:30pm : 6 in the Morning

Directed by Mehran Modiri (Iran, 2024, 88 min.). Farsi with English subtitles. In this taut thriller, Sara’s long-held dream-a spot in a Canadian PhD program in philosophy-is within reach. The night before her 6 am flight to Canada, she makes a quick stop at a friend’s house in Tehran for an impromptu farewell party. Surrounded by friends, laughter, music, and wine, the evening starts off light and full of promise.

Date : January 17–February 7, 2025

Time :

January 17, 2025 from 7:00pm to 9:45pm

January 24, 2025 from 7:00pm to 8:45pm

January 25, 2025 from 2:30pm to 5:00pm

January 31, 2025 from 7:00pm to 8:30pm

February 1, 2025 from 2:30pm to 4:30pm

February 1, 2025 from 2:30pm to 4:30pm

February 7, 2025 from 7:00pm to 8:30pm

Location :

Museum of Fine Arts

465 Huntington Avenue

Boston, MA

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