Bahram is a 40-year-old who has spent his entire career making films in Turkish-Azeri, all of which have been banned in Iran. His latest work, once again denied permission by the Ministry of Culture, pushes him to the edge of defiance. Against all odds, Bahram and his sharp-tongued producer Sadaf set out to screen Bahram’s film to the Iranian people. Accomplishing their mission while evading censors and bureaucracy embroils them in some peculiar encounters – among others fetching cocaine from a drone and a run-in with a man who claims to be a prophet.
“Divine Comedy is grounded in realism, yet uses cinematic form to heighten the absurdity of the world it portrays. It reflects the static, suffocating Iranian bureaucracy in which the protagonist is trapped. / ... / Humour arises not from comedy but from the absurdity of repression. The convoluted censorship system collapses under its contradictions. The characters respond with sarcasm and quiet wit – humour as endurance where rebellion is perilous. Making the film is itself an act of resistance.” (Ali Asgari)
Ali Asgari
Born in Tehran, Iran, in 1982. After graduating from the Islamic Azad University, Asgari went to study cinema in Italy. He first attracted attention with his short films before making his debut feature film, Disappearance, which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival A prominent Iranian director, screenwriter and producer with more than 200 awards to his name, Asgari’s films focus on the precarious lives of individuals living on the margins of society in his native country, Iran.