Film Forum

Acclaimed Iranian director Vahid Jalilvand, winner of Best Director prizes at the 2017 Venice and Fajr film festivals, recalls the work of Oscar-winner Asghar Farhadi (A SEPARATION) in this gripping psychological drama of morality and class dynamics in contemporary Iran. Forensic pathologist Dr. Nariman’s car accidentally injures a motorcyclist’s 8-year-old son. He offers to take the child to a clinic, but the father refuses his help and his money. A few days later, in the hospital where he works, Dr. Nariman learns that the boy has been autopsied after a suspicious death. His existential dilemma: is he responsible for the death, or did the child die of another cause, as the autopsy suggests? It’s a study in ethical nuance, filtered through class consciousness.

IRAN      2017    104 MINS.    IN FARSI WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES
DISTRIB FILMS US

Reviews

“Absorbing. A sturdy morality play. A dual character study... (of two men) each seething with guilt. Dramatized with an acute sense of the role of class in Iranian society. Unfussily well directed.”
– Ben Kenigsberg, The New York Times

“The actress Hediyeh Tehrani, whose face has an elegant angularity worthy of Katharine Hepburn, is not only one of the chief reasons to see the powerfully understated NO DATE, NO SIGNATURE; she can also be regarded as a living symbol of the current era of Iranian cinema...There are many subtle touches in Jalilvand’s smart, pared-down style...every aspect of the execution on display here posits Jalilvand as among Iran’s most assured directors to have emerged in this decade. The brilliance of all four lead performances - with Mohammedzadeh’s explosive turn a particular standout -- once again shows the range and skills of Iran’s leading actors.”
– Godfrey Cheshire, RogerEbert.com

“Navid Mohammadzadeh impresses as the grieving father, whose anger takes on a Shakespearean resonance in this fine drama about making ethical choices in a corrupt society.”
– Graham Fuller, The Culture Trip

“A handsomely made, exceptionally well-played drama. Explores questions of culpability and responsibility in a society constantly playing on the edge of the rule of law. A no-holds-barred performance by Navid Mohammadzadeh… gives (the film) its emotional core. All four main actors are in top form. Every word packs a punch.”
– Jay Weissberg, Variety

“A beautifully shot psychological drama. Lensed with great sensitivity and style and superbly acted. A well-directed, top-drawer cast. A visual pleasure, shot in elegant, nearly black-and-white images.”
– Deborah Young, The Hollywood Reporter

“Superb performances. A complex psychological drama. A sensitive and intelligent piece of work which unfolds like a detective story only to remind the viewer that, in the real world, injustice is never that simple.”
– Jennie Kermode, Eye for Film