No Bears

Despite being prohibited to make films by the Iranian authorities, writer-director Jafar Panahi (who’s currently serving a six-year sentence) has shown no desire to stop expressing himself artistically. His latest film, No Bears, continues his trend of blending fiction with documentary to convey poignant observations on Iranian life and its political climate to cynically playful and tragic effect.

Panahi plays a version of himself overseeing the filming of a production that’s being shot in Turkey. But as he’s unable to leave Iran, he’s staying in a small border village where tradition is everything. The locals greet him with gracious hospitality, though are quietly suspicious about his presence. And when he’s believed to have taken a photograph of a young couple (something which he vehemently denies), he’s drawn into a village-wide scandal. Meanwhile, the actors in the production are searching for their own means to escape to Europe.

As the title tells us, there are no bears in this film. Stories of the animals roaming the outskirts of the village, Panahi is told, are used to stop the inhabitants from venturing too close to the border. This scene resonates closely with another in which the filmmaker is instructed that it’s acceptable to lie while under oath if it ensures “peacekeeping”. There’s an absurdist, almost comical, tone to the village scenes where tradition and superstition are treated with deadly reverence one moment and then casually brushed aside shortly after. The overly friendly demeanour of Panahi’s host, Ghanbar (Vahid Mobaseri), in the face of the escalating threat likewise acts as a tonal counterpoint to the broiling tensions.

The minimalistic presentation only adds to the gravity of the characters’ situations by placing viewers as unwilling observers in the ongoing drama. At one point, Zara (Mina Kavani), one of the leading actors in the film within this film, becomes frustrated with the hopelessness she feels towards her current plight. She removes her wig and addresses the camera point-blank, telling us that the happy ending she’s filming is “all fake”.

Balancing a wry sense of humour with the tragic realities of contrasting elements of Iranian life, Panahi has crafted an honest and introspective work that underscores what he stands for as an artist. Within the context of his recent imprisonment, No Bears amplifies the director’s legacy.

Andrew Murray

No Bears is released in select cinemas on 11^th November 2022.

Watch the trailer for No Bears here: