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Football is a hot topic in Iran, since the country qualified
for the 2006 World Cup, but women are forbidden to attend
matches. Offside is a vibrant, humorous work from writer/director
Jafar Panahi (The Circle, Crimson Gold) which portrays the
efforts of a group of teenage girls to sneak into a crucial
international qualifying game at Tehran's main stadium.
Their conflict with the authorities gives rise to situations
which depict the absurdity and difficulty of the position
of women in Iran's patriarchal system.
Critics have likened this film to the best work of Ken Loach,
whose humour and social critique are reflected in the predicaments
of Offside's characters. The finale has interesting glimpses
of what Iran's best-known director sees in store for his
country's future.
"A quietly intelligent
and humorous alternative look at football, pop culture and
the position of women" - Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
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