Terrestrial Verses


Terrestrial Verses is a 2023 Iranian film written and directed by Ali Asgari and Alireza Khatami.
It had its world premiere at the Un Certain Regard section of the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, on 23 May 2023.
The film also had theatrical release in France, where it achieved approximately 100,000 admissions.

Synopsis

The film contains nine vignettes in which ordinary Iranian citizens struggle against the power of religiously-guided authoritarianism in everyday situations.

Cast

Asgari and Khatami worked on the script together, but had difficulty finding a producer and ultimately produced the film at their own expense with financial support from friends. The film was then shot within seven days.

Release

The film premiered on May 23, 2023, in Cannes, after which it was shown on October 4, 2023, at the BFI Film Festival in London, on October 19, 2023, in the USA during the Chicago International Film Festival and at other international film festivals. The cinema release in Germany was April 11, 2024.

Awards

The film won both the Grand Prix and the FIPRESCI Award at 2024 Luxembourg City Film Festival.