Dissident writer and director Mohammad Rasoulof’s anthology film There is No Evil (Sheytan Vojud Nadarad) presents the moral paradoxes an authoritarian regime imposes on ordinary citizens.

A compellingly crafted two-and-a-half hours are divided into four short stories, connected by unapologetic depictions of those tasked with Iran’s highly criticized executions. The film explores the ethical dilemmas conscripted soldiers are faced with and how each navigates this narrative with an often tortured conscience.

Rasoulof uses the episodic format to circumvent the pervasive eyes of the feature film-focused authorities, sending a clear message to resist oppression by any means. However, the Berlinale Golden Bear-winning film lead to Rasoulof’s conviction for producing “propaganda against the system” by the Revolutionary Court of Iran, banning him from filmmaking once again.

- Azarin Sohrabkhani

Screening

FRIDAY, MARCH 19 - SATURDAY, MARCH 20