Circumstance (film)

Circumstance
Directed by	Maryam Keshavarz
Written by	Maryam Keshavarz
Starring	Nikohl Boosheri Sarah Kazemy Reza Sixo Safai
Music by	Gingger Shankar
Cinematography	Brian Rigney Hubbard
Editing by	Andrea Chignoli
Studio	Marakesh Films
Distributed by	Participant Media (USA) Roadside Attractions (USA)
Release date(s)	January 2011 (2011-01) Sundance Film Festival premiere
Running time	107 minutes
Language	Persian
Budget	$1,000,000
Box office	$399,647[1]

Circumstance is a 2011 dramatic film written and directed by Maryam Keshavarz. It explores homosexuality in modern Iran.

Plot

Atafeh (Nikohl Boosheri) is the teenage daughter of a well-to-do Iranian family in Tehran. She and her best friend Shireen (Sarah Kazemy) attend illicit parties and experiment with sex, drinking, and drugs.

Atafeh's brother Mehran (Reza Sixo Safai) is a recovering drug-addict who becomes increasingly religious.

Production

Set in Iran and released with subtitled Farsi dialogue, the film was actually shot in Lebanon.^[2] Sarah Kazemy, a Paris resident, visited relatives in Tehran while researching her role.^[2]

Release and reaction

Critical reception

Reviews of the film were mostly positive (receiving an 82% rating on Rotten Tomatoes). The critical consensus called it "A thought-provoking, insightful look into Iranian youth culture."^[3]

Awards and nominations

Circumstance was the Audience Award winner at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.^[4]

References

1. ^ http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=circumstance.htm
2. ^ ^{a b} Diane, Diane (August 2011). "Who: Nikohl Boosheri & Sarah Kazemy". W (Condé Nast): 49. http://www.wmagazine.com/celebrities/2011/08/iranian-actresses-nikohl-boosheri-sarah-kazemy. Retrieved 30 October 2011. 
3. ^ "Circumstance (2011)". Rotten Tomatoes. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/771228738/. Retrieved 2011-10-20. 
4. ^ http://www.takepart.com/circumstance

External links

• Official website
• Circumstance at the Internet Movie Database
• An interview with Maryam Keshavarz