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Offside (2006)

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Movie review

From Time Out London

Having (inevitably) had ‘The Circle’ and ‘Crimson Gold’ banned in Iran, Jafar Panahi again displays disdain for his censors with a righteously provocative critique of the Islamic Republic’s oppressive treatment of women. Prepared in advance and shot in a semi-documentary style on the day of the Iranian football team’s 2005 World Cup qualifying tie against Bahrain, it begins with a young girl on a bus travelling to the match in the company of likewise excited male fans – the crucial difference being that, unlike them, she isn’t legally allowed to attend. Like other females – some of whom resort to drag in their determination to see the game – she must first persuade a tout to sell her a ticket, then avoid the body-search guards encircling the stadium, and then hope she won’t be betrayed by the male spectators…

That’s if she gets in. Most of the film takes place in a compound guarded by soldiers just outside the stadium, where women whose gender has been discovered await removal for official sentencing. As the feisty Tehrani females protest the injustice of their situation with markedly less sophisticated provincial soldiers, Panahi underlines the absurdity of the regime’s double standards with scenes that are sometimes comic – a girl is escorted to the men’s loos which, of course, must be evacuated first – sometimes shaded by tragedy. The film isn’t as consistently funny as it might be, and the peculiar cirumstances of its making means that its narrative sometimes feels fairly wayward, but there’s no denying its rough, rousing power or its relevance as an illuminating social document. One thing’s for sure: football fanatics behave pretty much the same everywhere.

Author: Geoff Andrew

Time Out London Issue 1868: June 7-14 2006

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User reviews of this film

Technoguy said...

Posted on Dec 28 2008 18:24 A good film with an interesting subject bustling with enthusiastic nerve and energy.Giving a light touch to the unreasonableness even in leisure of the Iranian theocracy which seeks to put life in a straight-jacket.The film maker is able to appear to film a real football match that occurred between Iran and Bahrain,to qualify for the 2006 World Cup.He makes the soldiers human as they try to corral the girls who would-be boys into a pen so that they can be taken for arrest by the Vice Squad.One does get away awhile and sees some of the match but eventualyy returns because she 'pities' a soldiers 'cattle'.The girls while they are waiting get individual soldiers to give a running commentary on what they can see of the match.The soldiers moan at them,attempting to be strict, but wilt under the pressure of their fandom that respects no gender.It's a feel-good movie that makes a serious point with humour.To get round the censors
requires metaphorical genius and fearlessness.

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usman khawaja said...

Posted on Sep 13 2008 17:03 one of the best social comments to come out of anywhere about the status of women in sport and society this iranian movie really reoices in ordinary humanity and the kindness of ordinary folks to each other despite the restrains of the beaureucracy .
the relationship which develops between the women spectators caught by the army soldiers in a bid to illicitly enter the football match is extra-ordinary and shows the resilience of the great iranian people who are shown to have a mind of their own even when under threat from higher authorities .
in short this movie becomes a great socio-political commentary on the iranian milieu but also a very optimistic and entertaining movie about the morality and behaviour of the iranian character,
the fact that they all care so much about each other as individuals even when pitched on opposite sides is extremely touching and heart -warming .
there is a patriotic element to the movie but the human element exceeds that and makes it on the mark rather than off it.
also the minimalist technique with neo-realistic camera-work make it look totally believable .great art by any criteria .

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