Alireza Mozafari

Alireza Mozafari’s filmography kinda reads like a weird, winding trip through the corners of Iranian cinema that most people totally overlook. Let’s start with “Maybe Another Time” (2012)—yeah, at first glance it seems like your classic indie drama, but it’s got this slow-burning tension, almost like the director’s daring you to get bored and then just when you think nothing’s happening, BAM, the emotional gut-punch lands. Mozafari’s characters aren’t exactly talkative, but their silences are loaded. You end up wondering what’s really going on in their heads, and somehow, that hooks you harder than some loud action flick. Then there’s “Fereshtegan-e ghassab” (2013). Don’t even get me started on that one. The title alone—something like “Butchered Angels”—has you wondering if you’re about to watch a horror movie or a twisted allegory. And honestly, it’s kind of both? The story weaves through the lives of people who are basically just hanging on by a thread. It’s gritty, uncomfortable, raw. Mozafari doesn’t really care if you’re squirming in your seat; that’s sort of the point. You get flashes of dark humor, and the movie never lets you forget that real life is messy. Rounding things out is “Maman Behrooz Mano Zad” (2010). This one’s got a bit more heart, but it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Family drama, secrets, awkward dinners—it’s all there. Mozafari’s way of digging into relationships feels honest, sometimes painfully so. You walk away weirdly satisfied, even if you’re not sure whether to laugh or cry.