Offside (2006/I)

Director:

Jafar Panahi

Writers:

Jafar Panahi
Shadmehr Rastin

Release Date:

26 May 2006 (Austria)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Sport

Tagline:

In Iran, All Women Are Banned From Men's Sporting Events

Plot:

Struggle of Women in a country that excludes them from entering the stadiums.

Plot Keywords:

Stadium | Iran | Iranian | Soccer | Bahrain

Awards:

4 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Sima Mobarak-Shahi	...	First girl
Shayesteh Irani	...	Smoking girl
Ayda Sadeqi	...	Soccer girl
Golnaz Farmani	...	Girl with tchador
Mahnaz Zabihi	...	Girl disguised as soldier
Nazanin Sediq-zadeh	...	Young girl
Melika Shafahi
Safdar Samandar	...	Soldier from Azerbaijan
Mohammad Kheir-abadi	...	Soldier from Mashad
Masoud Kheymeh-kabood	...	Soldier from Tehran
Mohammed-Reza Gharebaghi
Hadi Saeedi	...	Soldier
Masoud Gheyas-vand
Ali Baradari	...	Bus Passenger
Ali Roshan
Mohsen Tabandeh	...	Ticket seller
Reza Khayeri	...	Bus Passenger
Karim Khodabandeh	...	Soldier
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mohammed Moktar Azad	...	Haji
Joad Abed El Gani
Reza Fashani	...	Old man
Mirian Kader
Orock Orock

Directed by
Jafar Panahi

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jafar Panahi
Shadmehr Rastin

Produced by
Jafar Panahi	....	producer

Original Music by
Yuval Barazani
Korosh Bozorgpour

Cinematography by
Rami Agami
Mahmoud Kalari

Film Editing by
Jafar Panahi

Production Design by
Iraj Raminfar

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Leon Watkins	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Scott Evans	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Steven Ghouti	....	sound re-recording mixer
Nezamoddin Kiaie	....	sound
Nick Roberts	....	adr recordist

Editorial Department
Sophie Denize	....	digital intermediate producer

Production Companies

• Jafar Panahi Film Productions

Distributors

• A-Film Distribution (2007) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Ad Vitam Distribution (2006) (France) (theatrical)
• Espace Sarou (2006) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Filmcoopi Zürich (2006) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2007) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Alambique Destilaria de Ideias Unipessoal (2011) (Portugal) (all media)
• Artificial Eye (2006) (UK) (all media)
• Four Films (2008) (Chile) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2006) (Australia) (all media)
• Madman Entertainment (2007) (New Zealand) (all media)
• Mongrel Media (2007) (Canada) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Aquarium Studios  sound post-production

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG for language throughout, and some thematic elements

Runtime:

93 min | Germany:88 min (Berlin International Film Festival)

Country:

Iran

Language:

Persian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG | Germany:o.Al. | Sweden:Btl | USA:PG | Hong Kong:I | Netherlands:12 | Australia:PG | Brazil:12 | South Korea:All | Argentina:Atp | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

Azadi Stadium, Tehran, Iran

Company:

Jafar Panahi Film Productions

Trivia:

This film just like other films of director, Jafar Panahi is banned in Iran.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "At the Movies: 25 Years of Margaret & David (#8.38)" (2011)

Soundtrack:

Ey Iran

Comedy about a tragedy

In Iran, women are not admitted to soccer games. Officially it's because they are to be spared from the vulgar language and behavior of the male audience. But of course it is about sexism. Women are lower forms of human beings.

Some brave girls oppose this and try to get into the stadium by using different tricks. They are caught by soldiers and hold in a kind of cage, until the police will come and pick them up.

Despite the insane situation, this is a film with lots of humor. It's also encouraging to see how people always find different ways of fighting oppression. You'll get touched at the same time as you have lots of laughs. Good job by director Jafar Panahi. This is in many ways a heroic comedy.