A Separation (2011) Jodaeiye Nader az Simin (original title)

Director:

Asghar Farhadi

Writer:

Asghar Farhadi

Release Date:

16 March 2011 (Iran)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Ugly truth, sweet lies

Plot:

A married couple are faced with a difficult decision - to improve the life of their child by moving to another country or to stay in Iran and look after a deteriorating parent who has Alzheimer's disease.

Plot Keywords:

Iran | Divorce | Alzheimer's Disease | Humanity | Visa

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 58 wins & 21 nominations

Cast

Payman Maadi	...	Nader
Leila Hatami	...	Simin
Sareh Bayat	...	Razieh
Shahab Hosseini	...	Hojjat
Sarina Farhadi	...	Termeh
Merila Zare'i	...	Miss Ghahraii
Ali-Asghar Shahbazi	...	Nader's Father
Babak Karimi	...	Interrogator
Kimia Hosseini	...	Somayeh
Shirin Yazdanbakhsh	...	Simin's Mother
Sahabanu Zolghadr	...	Azam
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mohammadhasan Asghari	...	Creditor
Shirin Azimiyannezhad	...	Woman in the Bus
Hamid Dadju	...	Creditor
Mohammad Ebrahimian	...	Judge
Samad Farhang	...	Interrogator's Office Manager
Ali Fattahi	...	Soldier
Nafise Ghodrati	...	School Teacher
Roya Hosseini	...	Police Officer
Seyyed Jamshid Hosseini	...	Accused Man
Hamid Janane	...	Soldier
Sahar Kave	...	Neighbour Woman
Seyyd Hamid Mirshams	...	Soldier
Manuchehr Mohammadzade	...	Creditor
Mazdak Mohaymeni	...	Police Officer
Majid Nameni	...	Accused Man
Ali Nazari	...	Satelite Reciever Operator
Farhad Nosrati	...	Piano Delievery Man
Mahmoud Rafi'i	...	Interrogator's Secretary
Bahare Riyahi	...	Hospital Receptionist
Peyman Sadeghi	...	Doctor
Mohammad Saffari	...	Shoemaker
Nosratollah Seyfizade	...	Creditor
Bahare Shahbazi	...	Neighbour Girl
Khodarahm Soleymannezhad	...	School Janitor
Maria Tehranchi	...	School Principal
Armine Zeytounchian	...	Mrs. Kalaani
Mohammad Sajadian	...	Soldier (uncredited)

Directed by
Asghar Farhadi

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Asghar Farhadi

Produced by
Negar Eskandarfar	....	executive producer
Asghar Farhadi	....	producer

Original Music by
Sattar Oraki

Cinematography by
Mahmoud Kalari

Film Editing by
Hayedeh Safiyari

Production Design by
Keyvan Moghaddam

Makeup Department
Reza Arabi	....	makeup assistant
Mehrdad Mirkiani	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Hamid Reza Ghorbani	....	first assistant director

Sound Department
Mohammad Reza Delpak	....	sound mixer
Reza Narimizadeh	....	sound editor
Mahmoud Samakbashi	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Koohyar Kalari	....	lighting designer
Habib Majidi	....	still photographer

Editorial Department
Shabnam Hosseini	....	assistant editor

Transportation Department
Akbar Nazari	....	cinemobile

Other crew
Bahman Dadashi	....	technical advisor
Maryam Naraghi	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Asghar Farhadi

Distributors

• Cinéart (2011) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Filmiran (2011) (Iran) (theatrical)
• Golem Distribución (2011) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Mongrel Media (2011) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2011) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Alamode Film (2011) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Cinéart (2011) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Hopscotch Films (2011) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Hopscotch Films (2011) (New Zealand) (theatrical)
• Memento Films (2011) (France) (theatrical)
• Sacher Distribuzione (2011) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Filmladen (2011) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Mars Production (2011) (Turkey) (theatrical)
• Alambique Destilaria de Ideias Unipessoal (2011) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Artificial Eye (2011) (UK) (theatrical)
• Folkets Bio (2011) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Camera Film (2011) (Denmark) (theatrical)
• Arthaus (2011) (Norway) (theatrical)
• JinJin Pictures (2011) (South Korea) (theatrical)
• Sahamongkolfilm Co. (2011) (Thailand) (theatrical)
• Alfa Films (2011) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Cathay-Keris Films (2012) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Cinema Mondo (2011) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Doma (2012) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Gutek Film (2011) (Poland) (theatrical)
• Lighthouse Pictures (2011) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Magic Hour (2012) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Mokép (2011) (Hungary) (theatrical)
• StraDa Films (2011) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Swallow Wings (2012) (Taiwan) (theatrical)
• Film1 (2012) (Netherlands) (TV) (limited)
• Golden Scene (2012) (Hong Kong) (DVD)
• Golden Scene (2012) (Hong Kong) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Imovision (2011) (Brazil) (all media)
• MC Distribution (2011) (Lebanon) (all media) (Middle East and North Africa)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2012) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2012) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Twin Pics (2012) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• trigon-film (2011) (Switzerland) (all media)

Other Companies

• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix
• Studio Moon  post-production facilities
• Studio Moon  sound post-production

Also Known As:

"Jodaeiye Nader az Simin" - Iran (original title)
"Nader and Simin, a Separation" - Europe (English title) (festival title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

Iran

Language:

Persian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | Netherlands:6 | UK:PG | South Korea:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:13 | Japan:G | Brazil:12 | Mexico:B | Sweden:15 | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Tehran, Iran

Company:

Asghar Farhadi

Trivia:

The director's daughter, Sarina Farhadi, plays Termeh, the eleven-year-old daughter of Nader and Simin, in the film. She shared the Best Actress (ensemble) Award at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Goofs:

Continuity: At 1:39:53 when Simin and Hojjat's sister are talking to Hojjat,the fan behind Hojjat is on at first, but in next scenes its off and facing a different angle.

Quotes:

Nader:What is wrong is wrong, no matter who said it or where it's written.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Conan: Death Wish Six: Natural Causes (#2.56)" (2012)

thoughtful, brilliant film

This is the first Iranian film I've seen, and I'm recommending it to every-one I know. It is so well-crafted; the twists of the plot throw up new moral dilemmas for all the protagonists, which are explored sensitively and without judgement - so refreshingly unlike mainstream American films. I felt sympathy for all the characters, even the threatening Hodjat, full of misplaced rage which often erupts volcanically. And as a footnote, the film felt like an intimate view into a society that our news media portray as monochromatic and extremely foreign. (I am writing this a few days after the UK embassy in Tehran was ransacked)