This Is Not A Film: DVD Review

This Is Not A Film: DVD Review

Rating: M
Released by Madman Home Entertainment

The name Jafar Panahi may not mean a lot to many, but this "film" doco about one man's struggle against creative repression is an intriguing insight into what happens when an artist is told he can't create.

Imprisoned under house arrest for a year in Iran and waiting a verdict on a 20 year film making ban, Panahi resorts to venting his creative juices by acting out his script and vision for a new celluloid outing, whose future release is never anything less than uncertain.

All there is in the flat is Panahi, his cameras and eyes to the world (the Japanese tsunami a year ago gets a look in to give some context) plus his daughter's gigantic iguana

What plays out on screen is a fascinating insight into creativity and frustrations.

Freedom of expression has never been so important - and by putting a face on it, it's never been so watchable.

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