June 2, 2026
FILM: THE FRIEND’S HOUSE IS HERE
WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: MARYAM ATAEI & HOSSEIN KESHAVARZ
STARRING: MAHSHAD BAHRAM, MANA HANA, FARZAD KAREN
RATING: 3 ½ out 4 stars
By Dan Pal
In the early 1990s when I was beginning my journey to study and write about film, I attended the Festival of Films from Iran at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. I was blown away seeing a new side of the culture which I had never been exposed to before thanks to American media. As I wrote about a few months back in my piece Why I Still Love Iranian Films, one of the key directors of the country’s film movement at the time was Abbas Kiarostami. The new film, The Friend’s House is Here, which will play at this year’s festival, offers something of an homage to the late director’s classic, Where is the Friend’s House? That film sits firmly in my Top Ten of all time. Shot in the mid-1980s, it showed Iranian life, with its rural settings, rough education system for children, and very traditional male/female roles, differently than what appears in this new film which represents a marked evolution in the depiction of the culture as it has arrived a quarter into the 21st Century. Priorities have changed but, perhaps more importantly, the socio/political climate has shifted, and the people affected by it continue to fight to express themselves. This film is a very modern and deeply effective look at artists in the country and how they continue to support each other in their desire for freedom of expression.
During the opening scene, an underground play is being performed. The “theater” is actually a large white walled room where actors are performing without sets. What is striking is how this looks like something which might be staged in a major metropolitan western city like New York or Chicago. In fact, we are in Tehran. Noticeable from the start are the many women choosing not to wear a hijab. They wear very contemporary outfits and appear to be equal to the men in their lives. Of course, this particular theater troupe is made up of friends who are all artists with a less than traditional set of social mores. Throughout the film, they bond at the home of one woman, Pari, as they practice their craft and simply enjoy each other’s company.
The arts are on display all over the film. Pari works in an art gallery. Her best friend Hanna (played by Mana Hana!) is, like a lot of them, a performance artist who enjoys dancing. Hanna’s boyfriend Ali is a video artist. He films her dancing in the streets during which she wears one of her many colorful and fashionable outfits. Hanna is about to leave the country and is waiting for her visa. She is breaking free from Iran to more fully express her talents. The relationship between Pari and Hanna is somewhat reminiscent of that portrayed by Greta Gerwig and Mickey Sumner in Noah Baumbach’s great 2012 film, Frances Ha. The friendship is tested, there are jealousies, but ultimately there is a loyalty between Pari and Hanna, which is, after all, the foundation for the entire group of friends.
It all sounds pretty perfect but the cracks in the system begin to show. Ali mentions early on that anything good in the culture, is ultimately “shut down.” Even Hanna’s own plans to leave the country are “up in the air.” At one point, the friendship circle mentions explosions happening in the distance at 4 AM. We don’t see any of the demonstrations but it’s clear they are in the air too. Things are brewing. The primary characters here aren’t young people standing up for their freedom through protest, rather they are artists who need to express themselves through their art. They sing songs about “remembering home” and “wanting freedom.” Their approach to defiance is reflected in the lack of hijabs, in Hanna’s dress and dances, and Pari’s own staging of her underground productions.
The laws of Iranian society are ever present though. The film illustrates the complicated nature of trying to get and keep a visa. It also touches on what is required to stage something “properly” and the freedoms that must be given up to do so. Yet the creative spirit and comradery of these artists don’t back down. They, as the film as a whole does, represent hope for the country.
Filmmakers and writers Maryam Ataei and Hossein Keshavarz do a masterful job of directing the ensemble (who won a special jury award at the Sundance Film Festival this year.) The two lead actors, Mana Hana and Mahshad Bahram, give stellar performances emphasizing the emotional and expressive characters of Hanna and Pari. The film also boasts excellent cinematography, which is often filled with long takes, allowing the actors to play out scenes with full arcs and no cuts. The slow-moving camera shots are simple but artful, revealing a variety of sides to the Iranian culture. Interestingly, the film was shot secretly in Tehran last summer and, according to Deadline, was completed under extremely challenging conditions including the U.S. bombing of the country and a 12-hour drive into Turkey to transport the final cut of the film. Members of the cast were also not able to attend the film’s premiere at the Sundance Film Festival due to visa restrictions.
While Kiarostami’s Where is the Friend’s House? showed the harsh realities of rural children in Iran, The Friend’s House is Here demonstrates that the restrictions and limits to freedom can be alleviated a bit through friendship and a community that supports expression.
The Friend’s House is Here, which was recently picked up for U.S. distribution by Greenwich Entertainment, screens June 5 and June 9 at the Festival of Films from Iran at the Gene Siskel Center in Chicago. A theatrical release is planned for the fall.
FILM: THE FRIEND’S HOUSE IS HERE
WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: MARYAM ATAEI & HOSSEIN KESHAVARZ
STARRING: MAHSHAD BAHRAM, MANA HANA, FARZAD KAREN
RATING: 3 ½ out 4 stars
By Dan Pal
In the early 1990s when I was beginning my journey to study and write about film, I attended the Festival of Films from Iran at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. I was blown away seeing a new side of the culture which I had never been exposed to before thanks to American media. As I wrote about a few months back in my piece Why I Still Love Iranian Films, one of the key directors of the country’s film movement at the time was Abbas Kiarostami. The new film, The Friend’s House is Here, which will play at this year’s festival, offers something of an homage to the late director’s classic, Where is the Friend’s House? That film sits firmly in my Top Ten of all time. Shot in the mid-1980s, it showed Iranian life, with its rural settings, rough education system for children, and very traditional male/female roles, differently than what appears in this new film which represents a marked evolution in the depiction of the culture as it has arrived a quarter into the 21st Century. Priorities have changed but, perhaps more importantly, the socio/political climate has shifted, and the people affected by it continue to fight to express themselves. This film is a very modern and deeply effective look at artists in the country and how they continue to support each other in their desire for freedom of expression.
During the opening scene, an underground play is being performed. The “theater” is actually a large white walled room where actors are performing without sets. What is striking is how this looks like something which might be staged in a major metropolitan western city like New York or Chicago. In fact, we are in Tehran. Noticeable from the start are the many women choosing not to wear a hijab. They wear very contemporary outfits and appear to be equal to the men in their lives. Of course, this particular theater troupe is made up of friends who are all artists with a less than traditional set of social mores. Throughout the film, they bond at the home of one woman, Pari, as they practice their craft and simply enjoy each other’s company.
The arts are on display all over the film. Pari works in an art gallery. Her best friend Hanna (played by Mana Hana!) is, like a lot of them, a performance artist who enjoys dancing. Hanna’s boyfriend Ali is a video artist. He films her dancing in the streets during which she wears one of her many colorful and fashionable outfits. Hanna is about to leave the country and is waiting for her visa. She is breaking free from Iran to more fully express her talents. The relationship between Pari and Hanna is somewhat reminiscent of that portrayed by Greta Gerwig and Mickey Sumner in Noah Baumbach’s great 2012 film, Frances Ha. The friendship is tested, there are jealousies, but ultimately there is a loyalty between Pari and Hanna, which is, after all, the foundation for the entire group of friends.
It all sounds pretty perfect but the cracks in the system begin to show. Ali mentions early on that anything good in the culture, is ultimately “shut down.” Even Hanna’s own plans to leave the country are “up in the air.” At one point, the friendship circle mentions explosions happening in the distance at 4 AM. We don’t see any of the demonstrations but it’s clear they are in the air too. Things are brewing. The primary characters here aren’t young people standing up for their freedom through protest, rather they are artists who need to express themselves through their art. They sing songs about “remembering home” and “wanting freedom.” Their approach to defiance is reflected in the lack of hijabs, in Hanna’s dress and dances, and Pari’s own staging of her underground productions.
The laws of Iranian society are ever present though. The film illustrates the complicated nature of trying to get and keep a visa. It also touches on what is required to stage something “properly” and the freedoms that must be given up to do so. Yet the creative spirit and comradery of these artists don’t back down. They, as the film as a whole does, represent hope for the country.
Filmmakers and writers Maryam Ataei and Hossein Keshavarz do a masterful job of directing the ensemble (who won a special jury award at the Sundance Film Festival this year.) The two lead actors, Mana Hana and Mahshad Bahram, give stellar performances emphasizing the emotional and expressive characters of Hanna and Pari. The film also boasts excellent cinematography, which is often filled with long takes, allowing the actors to play out scenes with full arcs and no cuts. The slow-moving camera shots are simple but artful, revealing a variety of sides to the Iranian culture. Interestingly, the film was shot secretly in Tehran last summer and, according to Deadline, was completed under extremely challenging conditions including the U.S. bombing of the country and a 12-hour drive into Turkey to transport the final cut of the film. Members of the cast were also not able to attend the film’s premiere at the Sundance Film Festival due to visa restrictions.
While Kiarostami’s Where is the Friend’s House? showed the harsh realities of rural children in Iran, The Friend’s House is Here demonstrates that the restrictions and limits to freedom can be alleviated a bit through friendship and a community that supports expression.
The Friend’s House is Here, which was recently picked up for U.S. distribution by Greenwich Entertainment, screens June 5 and June 9 at the Festival of Films from Iran at the Gene Siskel Center in Chicago. A theatrical release is planned for the fall.