Golshifteh Farahani Movies

A woman finds taking after her father is both exciting and dangerous in this drama from Iran. Setareh (Golshifteh Farahani) is a woman in her early twenties whose father was a motorcycle trick rider who performed with a traveling carnival until he died as the result of a stunt gone wrong. Setareh's mother (Azita Hajian) wants her daughter to settle down, get married and become a housewife, but Setareh has a restless spirit and inherited her father's love of tinkering with engines, and she loves taking his motorcycle for a spin. Mahmood (Mohammad Kasebi), the manager of the carnival, wants Setareh's slacker brother Shahab (Mehrdad Sedighian) to take over his dad's act, but when he can scarcely be bothered, she gives it a try, and is soon mastering the "Wall of Death," a stunt in which she drives the bike up the walls of a cylindrical track until she's riding parallel with the ground. Shahab and his mother are appalled at Setareh's new career until she starts bringing in an income that rivals anything her dad ever made, but not everyone is pleased with the notion of a female daredevil on wheels, and Setareh must fight for her rights when the local police shuts down the show, claiming she's violating Muslim laws of female conduct. Divar (aka The Wall) received its European premiere at the 2008 Taormina Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Director Nacer Khemir traces the profound journey of a young girl and her blind grandfather into the desert as they search for a legendary gathering of elders in an unknown location. Bab'Aziz is a noble dervish who, along with his spirited granddaughter Ishtar, has been invited to attend a special gathering that is said to take place somewhere deep in the dunes of the eternal desert. There are no directions to the location of the gathering, however, as it is said that those who are meant to attend will certainly find their way. As Bab'Aziz and Ishtar set out to find their destiny through the strength of their intuition and the power of their faith, Bab'Aziz imparts the tale of an ancient prince who once made a similar pilgrimage to his beloved granddaughter. Along the way, Ishtar will learn the value of patience, and both will encounter a series of fellow travelers whose remarkable stories help to unlock ancient mysteries and provide a better understanding of their barren kingdom. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Fresh off of their success with director Martin Scorsese's The Departed, star Leonardo DiCaprio and screenwriter William Monahan team with director Ridley Scott for this screen adaptation of David Ignatius' novel Body of Lies. When CIA operative Roger Ferris (DiCaprio) uncovers evidence indicating that a major terrorist leader may be operating out of Jordan, he enlists the aid of CIA veteran Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe) in infiltrating the elusive saboteur's vast underground network. During the course of his dangerous mission, Ferris gradually comes to question how much he can trust his presumed allies -- who include not just Hoffman, but the outwardly helpful head of Jordanian intelligence as well. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Director Bahman Ghobadi follows the success of Turtles Can Fly and A Time for Drunken Horses with this tale of an iconic Kurdish musician who, despite his failing health, determines to lead a dozen of his sons to Iraq for a concert staged to celebrate Saddam Hussein's fall and the end of the brutal Iraqi dictator's repression of Kurdish music. Authorization has just been granted for the concert, and upon receiving word of the upcoming musical celebration, Kako (Allah-Morad Rashtian) immediately procures a school bus and sets about rounding up his father, Mamo, and many brothers. Mamo is an elderly statesman of Kurdish music, and as the jovial collection of men make their way across the border between Iranian and Iraqi Kurdistan, they bear witness to a wide-ranging variety of sights both sublime and soul-scarring. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi