Terrestrial Verses (2023)

Comedy
Drama

A satirical take on the mundane absurdities of life in modern-day Iran, these nine vignettes illuminate the lighter side of enduring under authoritarian rule. Whether choosing a name for a newborn, graduating from grade school, getting a driver’s license, applying for a job, or seeking approval for a film script, if you live in Iran, you best come fluent in Orwellian discourse. Progressing along a rough timeline from birth to death, each story is shot in a static camera angle as a single petitioner negotiates with an authority figure hovering just outside of frame, who is practiced in the language of doublespeak.

Cast

Siamak
Majid Salehi
Mehri
Gohar Kheyrandish
(voice)
Babak Karimi
(voice)
Behnaz Jafari
(voice)
Sara Bahrami
(voice)
Reza Behboudi
(voice)
Kiumars Moradi
(voice)
P Paria Yaghoubi
(voice)
S Shaghayegh Faryad Shiran
(voice)
T Tofigh Heidari
(voice)
Ali Asgari
(voice)
Alireza Khatami
Ali
Farzin Mohades
Sadaf
Sadaf Asgari
Farbod
Hossein Soleymani
Faezeh
Faezeh Rad
Young Father
Bahram Ark
Aram
S Servin Zabetian
Selena
A Arghavan Shabani
100-year-old man
Ardeshir Kazemi

Crew

Director
Ali Asgari
Director
Alireza Khatami
Writer
Ali Asgari
Producer
Ali Asgari
Writer
Alireza Khatami
Co-Producer
Alireza Khatami
Producer
Milad Khosravi
Director of Photography
A Adib Sobhani
Co-Producer
C Cyrus Neshvad
Co-Producer
R Reyhaneh Rad
Editor
Ehsan Vaseghi
Sound Designer
A Alireza Alavian
Makeup Artist
M Mehdi Sayad
Costume Designer
M Morvarid Kashiyan
First Assistant Director
I Iman Tavakoli
Production Manager
M Mohammad Askari
Set Designer
H Hamed Aslani
Sound
A Abdolreza Heydari
Sound
I Iman Bazyar
Visual Effects
K Kamyar Shafipour
Original Music Composer
M Masoud Fayazzadeh