| Circumstance | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Maryam Keshavarz |
| Written by | Maryam Keshavarz |
| Starring | Nikohl Boosheri Sarah Kazemy Reza Sixo Safai |
| Music by | Gingger Shankar |
| Cinematography | Brian Rigney Hubbard |
| Editing by | Andrea Chignoli |
| Studio | Marakesh Films |
| Distributed by | Participant Media (USA) Roadside Attractions (USA) |
| Release date(s) | January 2011 Sundance Film Festival premiere |
| Running time | 107 minutes |
| Language | Persian |
| Budget | $1,000,000 |
| Box office | $399,647[1] |
Circumstance (Persian: شرایط) is a 2011 dramatic film written and directed by Maryam Keshavarz starring Nikohl Boosheri, Sarah Kazemy, and Reza Sixo Safai. It explores homosexuality in modern Iran.
Contents |
Atafeh (Nikohl Boosheri) is the teenage daughter of a wealthy Iranian family in Tehran. She and her best friend, the orphaned Shireen (Sarah Kazemy) attend illicit parties and experiment with sex, drinking, and drugs.
Atafeh's brother Mehran (Reza Sixo Safai) is a recovering drug-addict who becomes increasingly religious and obssessed with Shireen, coinciding with the collapse of his once-strong relationship with his sister.
The matriarch's of the family are the Hakimi parents, Firouz and Azar, who reminisce on their youth and what has become / what will become of their family.
Set in Iran and released with subtitled Persian dialogue, the film was actually shot in Lebanon.[2] Sarah Kazemy, a Paris resident, visited relatives in Tehran while researching her role.[2]
Reviews of the film were mostly positive (receiving an 82% rating on Rotten Tomatoes). The critical consensus called it "A thought-provoking, insightful look into Iranian youth culture."[3]
Circumstance was the Audience Award winner at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival[4] and was ranked one of the 50 best movies of 2011 by Paste Magazine. [5]