Film Details

Banned for 30 years, this docudrama is a two-part case study on classroom discipline. When a rude noise interrupts and irritates a teacher when his back is turned, the instructor expels a group of students until the culprit identifies himself. In the first case, no student steps forward. But in the second, one rats on a classmate. Kiarostami then interviews the education minister and politicians from various parties to get their opinions about both scenarios and the conflict between obedience and resistance. Preceded at showtime by Kiarostami’s short Tribute to Teachers (Bozorgdasht-e mo'Allem, 1977), a series of interviews with Iranian schoolteachers. Cleveland premiere. Subtitles. DCP. Total 65 min.