ALLAN HUNTER at the Movies

THERE IS NO escaping the World Cup. Documentaries and dramas crowd the television schedules and every commercial seems to have some link to the beautiful game.

If you are hoping to take refuge in the cinema then football rears its ugly head here too. The best of the films on the subject is “Offside”, an unassuming Iranian drama that gives a revealing glimpse into the everyday life of that country.

In Iran, women are not allowed to enter a football stadium. The rowdy crowd and masculine ethos are believed to be too overpowering for their delicate sensibilities.

Offside takes place on June 8, 2005 in Tehran. Iran were playing Bahrain and only needed to draw to qualify for the World Cup.

Mingling with the crowd, wearing a baseball cap and trying to appear inconspicuous, one girl (Sima Mobarak Shahi) believes that she can sneak into the stadium. Her nervous manner is enough to betray her. Kept in a holding area under military supervision, she can only hear the roar of the crowd as they urge on the Iranian team.

“Offside” has the mild humour of an Ealing comedy. The scenes on the streets lend it a documentary-like authenticity. It feels like a story very much based in real events. It also provides a telling insight into a society in conflict.

Everyone acknowledges that women and football do not mix, but soldiers and male supporters are generally sympathetic to the women who just want to support their home team.

Director Jafar Panahi has become one of the leading lights in Iranian cinema thanks to films like “The White Balloon” (1995) and “The Circle” (2000). His films are gentle, accessible tales that always carry a sting in the tale, and the highly engaging “Offside” is no exception.

Selected nationwide release
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Sima Mobarak Shahi, Safar Samandar, Shayesteh Irani, Ida Sadeghi
Screenwriter: Jafar Panahi, Shadmehr Rastin
Certificate: PG
Running time: 88 mins
Country: Iran
Year: 2005

© Allan Hunter, 2006