No Bears / Khers Nist

A director from Tehran secretly travels to the countryside to shoot a film about a young couple who want to flee abroad. He himself hides in a simple dwelling during the day. When a villager accuses him of taking unauthorised photos of him, the village elders drag him before a lay court. He consents – on the condition that he may film the proceedings with his camera. NO BEARS is a powerful drama about the power of images, the contrasts between urban and rural Iran, and filmmaking under a regime that restricts artistic freedom. The fact that director and lead actor Jafar Panahi was recently imprisoned by the Iranian judiciary only adds urgency to this plea for artistic freedom.