Nader and Simin - A Separation

Nader (Peyman Moadi) and his wife Simin (Leila Hatami) seem to lead a well-ordered life. However, the wholesome façade of the modern middle class is crumbling badly. So much so that Simin wants a divorce. She wants to leave the country, but Nader wants to stay in Iran to take care of his father, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease. The judge does not give the couple permission to divorce, but this does not stop the separation. Simin moves back in with her parents, leaving Nader alone in their shared apartment with daughter Termeh (Sarina Farhadi) and his ailing father. Needing help caring for the old man, he hires young Razieh (Sareh Bayat), a devout woman from a poor background. But when Razieh leaves the man in need of care alone in the apartment, Nader throws her out after only a few days. But when he learns that the heavily pregnant Razieh has lost her child allegedly due to a fall caused by him, a nightmare begins not only for his family, but also for Razieh and her irascible husband, which can really only end tragically.

Nader and Simin - A Separation cleaned up big at the Berlinale 2011. The film won the Golden Bear and the actresses also received an award. Director Asghar Farhadi uses the example of two socially different families to paint a multi-layered picture of Iranian women. While Razieh corresponds more to the image that Western viewers have of women in Iran, Simin represents modernity and the middle class, which corresponds more to Western ideals. Their daughter Termeh, played by Farhadi's daughter Sarina, on the other hand, is torn between traditional values, beliefs and morals, and the modern lifestyle instilled in her by her parents.

Although each of the women lives in the same unfree society, their circumstances are extremely different - which inevitably leads to conflict. These mirror very vividly the social drama Farhadi's excellent work tells on the other side. The director is not so much concerned with showing the political conditions in his country, even if the scenes set in court can certainly be understood as social criticism. Rather, he allows the viewer an unembellished look at reality, which he knows how to convey in an almost documentary-sober way very emotionally.

As good as the production is, as strong as the actors and as engaging as the story, Nader and Simin - A Separation might have a hard time finding appeal beyond program cinema seasoned audiences. For on the one hand, the almost underwhelming narrative style keeps the viewer emotionally distant - even if the story itself is stirring enough to be genuinely moving. On the other hand, few moviegoers are willing to spend money to deal with a depressing reality for over two hours. On one hand, that may be sad, as it makes it difficult for films like this to appeal to a wider audience. On the other hand, however, it is also understandable that most viewers prefer to invest in escaping reality for a short while - even if this escape from reality offers less ambition but a higher entertainment value.

Arthaus lovers and such viewers who are attracted by the story will certainly agree with the Berlinale jury's verdict and see a great drama in Nader and Simin - A Separation. For this audience then also applies: despite some lengths and the rather depressing underlying tone: worth seeing!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp