Dark Matter (Iran, 2023)

Dark Matter

Iran, 2023

Director Karim Lakzadeh channels the French New Wave by way of Jim Jarmusch into this wildly unexpected and entirely welcome independent Iranian production. A trio of aspiring, young filmmakers throw caution — and the hijab (literally) — to the wind when they rob a local gangster to fund their DIY movie. Shot in black and white with an eye to bold angles, Dark Matter exudes a playful cool and an infectious love of cinema. This is a boy, a girl and a gun Iranian-style.

DCP, b&w and color, in Persian with English subtitles, 82 min. Director: Karim Lakzadeh. Screenwriter: Karim Lakzadeh. With: Shadab Mahdiar, Keyvan Parmar, Iman Sayyad Borhani.