Dayereh (2000)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Jafar Panahi

Writer:

Kambuzia Partovi (writer)

Release Date:

8 September 2000 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Various women struggle to function in the oppressively sexist society of contemporary Iran.

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Hospital | Bus | Iran | Abortion

Awards:

11 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Nargess Mamizadeh	...	Nargess
Maryiam Palvin Almani	...	Arezou
Mojgan Faramarzi	...	Prostitute
Elham Saboktakin	...	Nurse
Monir Arab	...	Ticket Seller
Solmaz Panahi	...	Solmaz
Fereshteh Sadre Orafaiy	...	Pari
Fatemeh Naghavi	...	Mother
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Abbas Alizadeh	...	Father of Pari
Negar Ghadyani
Ataollah Moghadas	...	Haji
Khadijeh Moradi
Maryam Shayegan	...	Parveneh
Maedeh Tahmasebi	...	Maedeh (as Maedeh Tahmasbi)

Directed by
Jafar Panahi

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Kambuzia Partovi		writer

Produced by
Mohammad Atebbai	....	associate producer
Morteza Motavali	....	line producer
Jafar Panahi	....	producer

Cinematography by
Bahram Badakshani

Film Editing by
Jafar Panahi

Art Direction by
Iraj Raminfar

Set Decoration by
Vajid Allah Fariborzi

Makeup Department
Hemasseh Malaki	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Abolfazl Laleh	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ali Aghababai	....	assistant director
Fereshteh Sadre Orafaiy	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Ahmad Ardalan	....	sound
Sassan Bagherpour	....	sound
Mehdi Dejbodi	....	sound engineer
Mehdi Dejbodi	....	sound mixer

Production Companies

• Jafar Panahi Film Productions
• Lumière & Company
• Mikado Film
• Mikado Lumiere & Co

Distributors

• Arthaus (2001) (Norway) (theatrical)
• Artificial Eye (2001) (UK) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Filmcoopi Zürich (2000-2001) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Mikado (2000) (Italy) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2001) (Netherlands) (video)
• Golem Distribución (Spain)
• Madman Entertainment (2003) (Australia) (DVD)
• Primer Plano Film Group (Argentina)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (Argentina) (video)
• WinStar Cinema (2001) (USA) (subtitled)

Also Known As:

Il cerchio (Italy)
The Circle (International: English title)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

Iran | Switzerland | Italy

Language:

Persian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Malaysia:U | South Korea:All | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | France:U | Iran:(Banned) | Norway:11 | Peru:14 | Singapore:PG | Spain:7 | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG | USA:Not Rated

Company:

Jafar Panahi Film Productions

Trivia:

This movie was banned in Iran.

Movie Connections:

References La ronde (1950)

The Repressive Situation Against the Women in the Iranian Society

A baby girl is born, and the grandmother regrets for the sex of the baby. Three women are released under probation from the jail and get lost into the crowd, without courage to come back home and having no money. A woman escape from the jail to make an abort and is expelled from her own home by her family. Another woman left her daughter of about six years old alone on the street. A prostitute is arrested with her client in his car, and the man is released by the police later while the woman goes to jail. All of these individuals and disconnected situations are presented to show the repressive situation against the women in the Iranian society. In the end, like in a circle, all of them ends arrested in the jail. I am not aware of the behavior of the Iranian society with their women, but this movie portraits a horrible picture. The women are showed without freedom, depending on her husband or her family even for simple actions, like traveling in a bus. If their society works this way, how are these actresses daily treated after their performances in this movie? The camera and the direction are excellent. It is amazing the capability of the Iranian filmmakers in making simple but touching films. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): `O Círculo' (`The Circle')