Offside
Offside, Iranian director Jafa Panahi's, is a soccer term. And the film revolves around an actual soccer match between Iran and Bahrain that took place in 2005. But there is more to this than meets the eye.
The film starts off with a van taking people to the soccer match. All of the people are men. Women are not allowed to attend matches. However, there are a few young women dressed up as men who are hoping to be able to sneak in. Unfortunately, most of them do not and they are taken to a holding pen right outside of the stadium.
What follows is a debate between the women and the soldiers who are watching over them. It is clear that the women are much more sophisticated than the male soldiers. The film has a great deal of humor. But it is also making an important statement. How can fifty percent of the population not be allowed to attend sports functions? It is absurd. The men look like men in any other country but the women have must keep themselves covered. This is like living in the dark ages - at least for women.
The last part of the film takes place after Iran wins. The women and one man (who is arrested for having fire crackers and sparklers) are taken away in a van. But everyone partying in the streets so the soldiers let their "prisoners" do so as well. The feeling is one of exhilaration and this sequence shows us that sports fanatics are the same the world all over.
All in all, a small but good and important film. I recommend that you see this on DVD because it is hard to find in the theaters.
The film starts off with a van taking people to the soccer match. All of the people are men. Women are not allowed to attend matches. However, there are a few young women dressed up as men who are hoping to be able to sneak in. Unfortunately, most of them do not and they are taken to a holding pen right outside of the stadium.
What follows is a debate between the women and the soldiers who are watching over them. It is clear that the women are much more sophisticated than the male soldiers. The film has a great deal of humor. But it is also making an important statement. How can fifty percent of the population not be allowed to attend sports functions? It is absurd. The men look like men in any other country but the women have must keep themselves covered. This is like living in the dark ages - at least for women.
The last part of the film takes place after Iran wins. The women and one man (who is arrested for having fire crackers and sparklers) are taken away in a van. But everyone partying in the streets so the soldiers let their "prisoners" do so as well. The feeling is one of exhilaration and this sequence shows us that sports fanatics are the same the world all over.
All in all, a small but good and important film. I recommend that you see this on DVD because it is hard to find in the theaters.
posted by Film Fanatic | 3:31 PM
2 Comments:
Hi there, Veggiegal. This is Cinemaniac(_Linney) from the Boards. I think your blog is great (the reviews are terrific as well) and I decided to link you, to help garner you a larger audience =). I hope you'll consider returning the favor. Gotta keep up the film appreciation and Oscar Buzzer love. Hope to hear from you soon. Take care!
Hello,
Thanks for your nice comments regarding my blog. And thanks for the link. What is the address of your site and I will try to link it to my blog. I hope that I will be able to figure that one out. I also think I eventually have to update my blog to the new format.
Once again, thanks for the nice comments.
Post a Comment
<< Home