The Circle opens with a shot of an elderly Iranian woman at a maternity ward, deeply saddened by the news that her daughter has given birth to a girl, not a boy. The camera follows her downstairs as she bumps into another of her daughters and gives her the grim news to pass on. Then the camera follows that woman… read more!

Crimson Gold has the usual elements of contemporary Iranian cinema: nonprofessional actors, deliberate pacing, little dialogue, and a small scope. What differs is that, rather than focusing on children or women, Crimson Gold is more or less a crime story. During the 4-minute-long opening shot, we watch as an obese man breaks into a jewelry store, kills the jeweler, then… read more!