This Is Not a Film

This Is Not a Film (Persian: In film nist - این فیلم نیست‎) is an Iranian documentary film by Jafar Panahi and Mojtaba Mirtahmasb.[1] It was released on 28 September 2011 in France, distributed by Kanibal Films Distribution.[2]

This Is Not a Film
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJafar Panahi
Mojtaba Mirtahmasb
Produced byJafar Panahi
StarringJafar Panahi
Mojtaba Mirtahmasb
CinematographyJafar Panahi
Mojtaba Mirtahmasb
Edited byJafar Panahi
Distributed byKanibal Films Distribution (France)
Release date
  • May 20, 2011 (2011-05-20) (Cannes)
Running time
76 minutes
CountryIran
LanguagePersian

The film was smuggled from Iran to Cannes on a flash drive hidden inside a birthday cake. It was specially screened at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival and later at the New York Film Festival, and others. It also took part in the International Competition of the 27th Warsaw International Film Festival.

Synopsis

Partly shot on an iPhone, this documentary depicts Panahi's day-to-day life[3] while under house arrest in his apartment. He talks to his family and lawyer (he is appealing his sentence) and reflects on the meaning of filmmaking.[4]

Reception

Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives a score of 97% based on reviews from 97 critics, with an average rating of 8.9/10, and the site's consensus is: "Through simple means and filming, This is Not a Film presents a vital political statement and a snapshot of life in Iran as enemy of the state."[5] Metacritic rated it 90/100 based on 27 reviews.[6]

Keith Uhlich of Time Out New York named This Is Not A Film the sixth-best film of 2012, calling it an "extraordinarily egoless self-profile" and "protest art at its peak."[7] Sight & Sound placed it eighth on its list of the best films of 2012.[8] Calling This Is Not A Film one of the top 10 movies of 2012, critic Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post said it "uses Brechtian staging, blurred lines between documentary and drama, and an iPhone to explore the notion of physical and political boundaries, the aesthetic and technological contours of cinema, and the enduring power of self-expression."[9] Critic A. O. Scott of The New York Times rated This Is Not a Film the fourth best documentary of 2012, calling it a "brave and witty video diary, an essay on the struggle between political tyranny and the creative imagination."[10] Peter Debruge of Variety called the film "a courageous act of nonviolent protest."[11] Deborah Young of The Hollywood Reporter called it "an unusual documentary" that finds a creative solution to Panahi's ban on filmmaking.[12] Jacques Mandelbaum of Le Monde wrote that the film shows audiences Panahi's courage and dignity.[13] In December 2012 it was shortlisted as one of 15 films eligible for Best Documentary Feature at the 85th Academy Awards.[14]

References
  1. Smith, Ian Hayden (2012). International Film Guide 2012. p. 148. ISBN 978-1908215017.
  2. Ceci n'est pas un film Allocine index. Retrieved 30 September.(in French)
  3. Bradshaw, Peter (2012-03-29). "This Is Not a Film – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 2020-10-07.
  4. "This Is Not A Film". Kanopy. Retrieved 2020-10-07.
  5. "This Is Not a Film (2012)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  6. "This Is Not a Film". Metacritic. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  7. Uhlich, Keith (December 13, 2012). "Keith Uhlich's Ten Best Movies of 2012". Time Out New York. Archived from the original on December 19, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  8. Lodge, Guy (December 2, 2012). "'The Master' named 2012's best in Sight & Sound critics' poll". HitFix. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  9. Hornaday, Ann (December 7, 2012). "Ann Hornaday's ten best films of 2012". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 13, 2012. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  10. Scott, A. O. (December 14, 2012). "25 Favorites From A Year When 10 Aren't Enough". The New York Times. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
  11. Debruge, Peter (May 20, 2011). "Review: 'This Is Not a Film'". Variety. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  12. Young, Deborah (May 20, 2011). "This Is Not a Film: Cannes Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  13. Mandelbaum, Jacques (September 27, 2011). ""Ceci n'est pas un film" : ceci n'est pas un cinéaste iranien menacé". Le Monde. Retrieved July 22, 2014.
  14. "Bully and Jafar Panahi make Oscar best documentary shortlist". The Guardian. December 4, 2012. Retrieved September 16, 2017.
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