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Festival Trailer for Golden Bear-Winning Iranian Film 'There Is No Evil'

by Alex Billington
March 2, 2020
Source: YouTube

"I never intended to kill anyone." The 2020 Berlin Film Festival just wrapped up, and the top prize Golden Bear award went to an Iranian drama titled There Is No Evil. This film features four narratives, each one addressing variations on the crucial themes of moral strength and the death penalty that ask to what extent individual freedom can be expressed under a despotic regime and its seemingly inescapable threats (read: life in Iran). Berlinale has debuted a promo trailer for the film that's written and directed by Mohammad Rasoulof (of A Man of Integrity), which is still trying to secure international distribution. Starring Ehsan Mirhosseini, Shaghayegh Shourian, Kaveh Ahangar, Alireza Zareparast, and Salar Khamseh. It's a big deal to win the Golden Bear at Berlinale, and from the looks of it, this film deserves the acclaim. I like the imagery (especially the scene in the pink flowers), and it seems like tragically accurate commentary.

Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Mohammad Rasoulof's There Is No Evil, via Berlinale's YouTube:

The four stories that comprise the film offer variations on the crucial themes of moral strength and the death penalty, asking to what extent individual freedom can be expressed under a despotic regime and its seemingly inescapable threats. Mohammad Rasoulof only creates a loose narrative link between these stories, and yet they are all tragically and inexorably connected. In the context of structural oppression, choice seems to be limited to either resisting or surviving. But with each abruptly interrupted story, we are urged to consider how men and women can assert their freedom even in such situations. There Is No Evil, also known as Sheytan vojud nadarad, is written and directed by Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof, director of the films The Twilight, Iron Island, The White Meadows, Goodbye, Manuscripts Don't Burn, and A Man of Integrity previously. This premiered at the Berlin Film Festival this year, where it won the Golden Bear top prize. The film does not have any release dates set yet - stay tuned. Your thoughts?

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