The Iranian film Se rokh (2018) was shown in the U.S. with the title 3 Faces.
The movie was written, produced, and directed by Jafar Panahi, who also stars in it.
The film begins with a horrible text message. A young woman in rural Iran has committed suicide because her family will not let her go to the acting conservatory in Tehran. She blames the famous actor Behnaz Jafari for never answering any messages that she sent to her. For whatever reason, this message comes in on the Jafar Panahi's phone.
The movie has a clever twist. Director Panahi acts the role as himself--an Iranian film director. Behnaz Jafari acts the role as herself--a famous Iranian actor. Panahi--reasonably enough--looks like a director, and the striking Jafari, is--obviously--typecast as well.
In the movie, Jafari and Panahi travel to the remote village to see for themselves what has happened. The plot unfolds from there.
The title "3 Faces" refers to three women. The young woman, Jafari, and an older woman who was an actor in the Shah's time, and is now an outcast.
I called this is a very Iranian movie. Like Panahi's mentor, director Abbas Kiarostami, director Panahi takes us from point A to point B, but never in a straight line. For example, Jafari goes into the home of the older actor. That's where the action is. We want to see what happens when they meet. Instead, we she Panahi waiting in the car outside. As in this scene, nothing in the movie is exactly what you would expect it to be. Fascinating, but very different.
We saw this film on the large screen at the Dryden Theatre in Rochester's George Eastman Museum. It will work on the small screen as well.
This movie has a respectable IMDb rating of 7.1. I think it's much better than that. My advice--seek it out and watch it!
