Faces of Iran: a panorama of Persian cinema

Persepolis is part of the line-up Photo: Sony Pictures Classic, Diaphana Distribution

The Cinémathèque in Luxembourg City over three months will present a selection of Iranian films, with the programme for May now available. 

The Iranian New Wave kicked off in the 1960s with, amongst others, The Cow and its director, Dariush Mehrjui, will be present for a conversation about his career on 3 May.

Popular pre-revolutionary cinema is represented by the comedy The Carriage Driver on 16 May and the documentary Filmfarsi on 24 May. The latter film’s director, Ehsan Khoshbakht, will also present the conference Detours and Subversion : An Introduction to Iranian Cinema on 9 May.

The 1979 Islamic Revolution marked a turning point in socio-political terms but, in cinema, the New Wave continued with a second wave of directors, with names such as Kiarostami, Panahi and Farhadi further consolidating the reputation of Persian cinema as one of empathy, quiet invention and great mastery.

For the full programme, visit