Terrestrial Verses

A satirical take on the mundane absurdities of life in modern-day Iran, these nine vignettes illuminate the lighter side of enduring authoritarian rule. Whether choosing a name for a newborn, graduating from grade school, getting a driver’s license, applying for a job, or seeking approval for a film script, if you live in Iran, you best come fluent in Orwellian discourse. Progressing along a rough timeline from birth to death, each story is shot in a static camera angle as a single petitioner negotiates with an authority figure hovering just outside of frame, who is practiced in the language of doublespeak.

“A Series of Striking Snapshots of Everyday Oppression in Iran." —Jessica Kiang, VARIETY

"This film is as muted in its approach to character and drama as its color palette, but the result is devastating." —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire

"In another context, these vignettes could be viewed as satirizing daily life; here they’re sadly no joke." —Peter Howell, Toronto Star

"Never falters in challenging traditional notions while simultaneously providing a glimmer of hope." —Jihane Bousfiha, The Playlist

"The quotidian mechanics of social repression are crisply evoked in Terrestrial Verses, the first directorial collaboration between rising Iranian talents Alireza Khatami and Ali Asgari." —Neil Young, Screen International