“CLOSED CURTAIN” *****
How can an artist survive without expressing their feelings through the art one creates? How unbearable can it be, when someone is prohibited and threatened to expose their ideals? Through the interior of a window of a beach house locked by thick gates, the camera observes a man arriving at the remote area with his luggage. He calmly enters the empty house, making sure all the curtains are closed, completely shutting the view from both sides. Inside his bags, he lets his dog, Boy, out and the little creature examines the place with the same peculiarity of insecurity and fear as the mysterious man did. Banned by the Iranian government from making a film until 2030, respected filmmaker Jafar Panahi defies the censorship in his country and won’t surrender, because he needs to speak up through his lens, about the dictatorial regime that causes turmoil in all his people, urging to motivate the young generation in order to claim the humanitarian right of freedom. The man is a writer looking for inspiration to compose, and the fact he avoids the light and the sea breeze is to protect his dog. The image of the animal looking at the horrible reasons the government gives on TV to annihilate all dogs with such alertness is completely heartbreaking and will remain in the memory registered as one of the most naturally depicted feelings of an animal captured on camera. With the collaboration of Kambozia Partovi, in fact, Panahi is telling his own personal story, his anguish and despair, dealing with his imprisonment and impossibility to make what he likes, films. The writer represents someone that could rescue him, giving him hope as he engages on his creative process of writing; while the dog might represent the director himself, as the animal is also banned from existing in the world given to all.
Besides these metaphors, Panahi also uses camera angles, silent shots, footsteps, sirens and the sound of the ocean to represent the sense of abandonment and injustice. Each element becomes a character that could change something in the narrative, creating a suspenseful tone leading to unexpected visitors. The abrupt arrival of young siblings breaking into the house, hiding from the authorities, puts the writer in conflict with his plans of surviving and maintaining his supportive relationship with Boy. The encounter of all these refugees seeking for freedom gets a dreamlike atmosphere as Panahi moves the focus to himself becoming a self-portrait document of the effects his sentence caused on everything around him. His incredible sensibility demonstrates a compelling taste and ability of extracting important results of social matters from moments of simplicity that spontaneously captures real life. Touching, audacious and courageous, the world must listen to Panahi’s request to be able to create his art, and find peace of mind and speech. The film is playing in New York with a limited release around the country. To help, you can send a message of support at celebratenotcensor.com or Tweet #celebratenotcensor. A moving masterpiece!
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