It is not easy to be a filmmaker, especially in a country like Iran. It is not a democratic country, and every creator has to adjust himself to the government's messages. Despite this, quite a few quality films have come out of Iran that have been successful around the world, but occasionally a conflict between culture and the authorities ends badly.
Asghar Farhadi is one of the leading directors in the Middle East and this is another immersive work of his. This time it is about a man who was sentenced to prison for a debt he did not pay. He discovers a hoard of gold and decides to sell the coins to save himself. However, his conscience bothers him and he decides to return the treasure to its rightful owner, meanwhile the media discovers the story, which complicates matters.
This is a very realistic film, almost a documentary glimpse of what is happening in a country that is in economic distress. The people there live their lives, and the camera is a kind of scenery in a theater performance where actors play out their lives every day. It's a fascinating piece of life that plays just wonderfully.
There is implicit criticism here against the government in Iran that makes the lives of the residents difficult to the point where they cannot live a decent life. Each hero is part of a puzzle that gets more and more complicated before our eyes, a branching and somewhat complicated plot but the solution is fascinating and definitely worth the wait.
