This film is part of Rentals
The President
Mohsen Makhmalbaf, the great Iranian filmmaker, directs this provocative and disquieting parable about a deposed president.
Director: Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Overview
One of the great figures of Iranian cinema, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, presents his (indirect) take on the Arab Spring and the continuing turmoil of Middle East politics. An international production shot in Georgia, it follows the president (Misha Gomiashvili) of an unnamed country whose repressive rule contrasts with the tenderness he shows to his grandson (Dachi Orvelashvili).
As a rebellion overtakes the territory the pair are forced to flee, disguising themselves as gypsies as they make their way through the country. But they soon gain first-hand experience of the poverty and hunger that are the direct consequences of the President’s disastrous regime. Although Makhmalbaf began writing the story before the Arab Spring, he regularly revised his screenplay to accommodate aspects of the momentous story as it unfolded during 2011, while also ensuring that no specific country was referenced in a story that echoes the history of numerous Middle Eastern and Central Asian countries. Like his fellow Iranian director Jafar Panahi (Taxi Tehran), Makhmalbaf has long been targeted by Iranian authorities for his association with the opposition Green Movement, but unlike Panahi he’s chosen to live and work outside the country. Even from a distance Makhmalbaf has mounted an essential films about the changing politics of the Middle East and his most vital work since the prize-winning Kandahar in 2001.
Related
Hotel Splendide Hotel Splendide
Comedy 1932 53 mins Director: Michael Powell
Music hall veteran Jerry Verno stars as a lowly clerk who gets more than he bargained for when he inherits a hotel, in Michael Powell's charming comedy.
Ballywalter Ballywalter
Comedy 2020 90 mins Director: Prasanna Puwanarajah
Seána Kerslake is superb as caustic cab driver, Eileen, who makes an unlikely connection with regular passenger and local comedian, Shane (Patrick Kielty), in Prasanna Puwanarajah’s charming debut.
Little English Little English
Comedy 2022 99 mins Director: Pravesh Kumar
A raucous and audacious comedy following the lives of a dysfunctional British Punjabi family.
Something Always Happens Something Always Happens
Comedy 1934 70 mins Director: Michael Powell
Michael Powell’s sprightly comedy about a freeloading charmer who romances the daughter of a wealthy petrol station owner.
Joy Ride Joy Ride
Comedy 2023 95 mins
Four unlikely friends embark on a once-in-a-lifetime international adventure in this riotous and unapologetically explicit story of identity and self-discovery.
The Innocent The Innocent
Comedy 2022 98 mins Director: Louis Garrel
Louis Garrel’s unique French comedy-heist-romantic-thriller comes loaded with charm and humour.
Red Island Red Island
Drama 2023 117 mins Director: Robin Campillo
French writer-director Robin Campillo offers a searching exploration of memory and politics, in this boldly conceived story of boyhood in 1970s Madagascar.
Drift Drift
Drama 2023 93 mins Director: Anthony Chen
Cynthia Erivo delivers a captivating performance as a young refugee, who after fleeing war-torn Liberia finds hope when she meets a fellow lost soul.
Late Night with the Devil Late Night with the Devil
Horror 2023 93 mins Director: Colin Cairnes and Cameron Cairnes
Like Ghostwatch reimagined as a cheesy 1970s chat show, this deviously clever found-footage horror has scares to spare.
Drifter Drifter
Drama 2023 79 mins Director: Hannes Hirsch
A scintillating portrait of a young man coming to terms with life, love, sex and relationships in contemporary Berlin.
Boys on Film 24: Happy Endings Boys on Film 24: Happy Endings
Anthology 2024 174 mins Director: Jason Bradbury, Jesse Ung, Diego Alvarez Parra, Itai Jamshy, Fabia Martin, Alejandro Sandoval Bertín, Sara Larrota, Benjamin Belloir, Jeremy McClain and Arthur Cahn
A compilation of new gay short films showcasing unashamedly positive stories of love, sex and romance to move, inspire and uplift.
Four Daughters Four Daughters
Drama-documentary 2023 103 mins Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
The mother-daughter relationship is explored to cathartic effect in this complex and poignant hybrid documentary about a woman and her missing daughters.