Friday, June 5 presentation followed by a reception sponsored by Maman Zari. Dialogue: Actress Mojdeh Shamsaie in attendance.
“Bahram Beyzaie’s seamless blend of myth, symbolism, folklore, and classical Persian literature is unparalleled in its complexity.” - MoMA
Friday, June 5, 6:00 p.m. & Thursday, June 11, 6:00 p.m. | Completed on the eve of revolution, Beyzaie crafted a poetic, profound, and richly symbolic mythic film, culminating in a breathtaking finale. It tells the story of an impossible love between a strong-willed local woman and the ghost of a fallen warrior whom she encounters in the forest near the Caspian Sea. The spirit seeks to reclaim the sword Tara has inherited from her father, but once his wish is fulfilled, his love for her prevents him from returning to the realm of the dead. Neither the living nor the dead can bridge the temporal divide between past and present. The film was permanently banned, largely for its portrayal of an independent woman who defies the men around her and remains in control of her desire and fate. Dialogue: Actress Mojdeh Shamsaie in attendance June 5.
Friday, June 5 presentation followed by a reception sponsored by Maman Zari.
Awards & Nominations
Nominee - Un Certain Regard, 1980 Cannes Film Festival
Official Selection - 1980 BFI London Film Festival
Festival of Films from Iran | June 5–11, 2026
This yearly showcase spotlights the innovation, resilience, and humanism of contemporary Iranian filmmakers and acclaimed Iranian auteurs. For the 37th year of the Festival of Films from Iran, we’re honoring influential Iranian filmmaker Bahram Beyzaie with a limited retrospective and presenting a slate of compelling contemporary films by Iranian and Iranian-diaspora filmmakers.
The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu