This Is Not a Film (In film nist) (این فیلم نیست)

Hello?

Hello, hi.

Hi. How's it going?

Fine. How are you?

Thanks. What's up?

Not much. l'm having breakfast.

Bon Appetite!

Are you outside office?

Yes. Somehow l'm making an effort.

So you're busy.

Kind of.

Listen...

l'm stuck in a problem.

What did you do about that thing?

l'm about to find out more

and l'm trying to talk with a couple of guys.

ActualIy, l'm waiting for the right moment to start.

Then it hasn't started yet?

l'm taking a chance here and there.

l mean l haven't started serious production yet.

Just doing some things for now.

Listen. l...

l can't say much on the phone. Can you come to my place?

What is it? Anything happened?

No, don't get worried.

Just come over. l have a few ideas l want to tell you about.

Come here and we'll see what can be done.

All right. l'm somewhere but l'll try to get there quickIy.

So you'll be here in about half an hour, right?

l hope so. There's the traffic, but l'll try.

l'll see you then.

Sure.

Just don't tell anyone you're coming here, OK?

ls there a problem?

No. Don't be worried. Just come over.

Bye.

See you.

See you.

THIS IS NOT A FILM

Hello, Jafar?

Are you awake?

l wanted to say that Panah and l are going to your mum's.

and we'll give her New Year present, and then maybe...

we'll go together to your sister's to give her present too.

You want to talk to dad? Hold on...

Dad, listen. l turned the camera on and placed it on the chair.

l just think there isn't much charge Ieft in it. The battery might run out.

Bye.

Don't get worried if we're home late.

l'll try and call you again.

Oh, by the way, don't forget Igi's food.

Get out of bed right now.

lgi's food is on the balcony. Just wash it well.

Our daughter will kill us if her lgi gets sick.

Make sure to water the flowers.

Don't get worried if l call you late...

or if l don't call at all.

The city is real busy today,

and the lines will probabIy get disconnected.

We'll come home late tonight. l'll call you if l can.

l love you. Bye.

Here. Eat and let's make up.

Stubborn boy.

Have some cheese.

Up here... There...

Hello?

Hello Ms. Gheyrat.

Hello sir. How are you?

This is Panahi. Very well. How are you doing?

Fine, thank you.

Any news, Ms. Gheyrat?

Nothing new. The appeals court hasn't decided yet.

So where do l stand right now?

l mean is it going to be clear by the New Year?

lt all depends. If there is some influence,

then they may issue a verdict immediateIy.

But recent verdicts have all taken long.

Do you think...

the appeals judge...

will confirm the verdict or not?

l need to know.

l believe that the complementary punishment...

What's that?

l mean the 30-year ban.

Yes, 20-year ban.

Oh yes. The 20-year.

l believe the 20-year will be taken back...

and the 6-year imprisonment will perhaps be reduced somewhat.

This is my guess.

That means l'll definitely go to prison.

Yes, the prison is certain. They're not going to acquit you.

unless there is some very strong order, a strong decision,

or some pressure.

They never completeIy over-rule the punishment.

What do you mean by ''pressure''?

Are you talking about international reactions?

Yes, and the internal pressure, too.

The internal demand can make a major influence.

Rakhshan (Banietemad) talked to me, too.

l see.

l told her all this.

l don't know what effort recommendation, attention...

these things do make a difference, you know.

The domestic cinema community isn't in a position right now

to be of much help.

l mean if they make the slightest move,

they'll be banned from working as well.

l really don't expect any reaction from...

l fulIy understand.

l recentIy managed to reduce a 4 months old case...

in the same court, from 2-year sentence to a 1-year sentence.

So you see?

Yes, but...

But l haven't seen a case in which the appeals judge

will completeIy over-rule the sentence.

They either confirm or reduce it a bit.

So l...

But your verdict... my guess is that the judge

will definiteIy take the 20-year ban away,

and might give a discount on the 6-year term.

So from what you're saying, l should pack my sack

and put it by the front door.

l hope it won't be that way. What can l say?

l'm realIy ashamed on my own behalf.

Since we don't know what's going to happen either.

Since the rulings aren't legal rulings at all, unfortunateIy.

That's why our legal arguments were not heard.

l should say this plain and simple that the rulings are...

one hundred percent political and not legal at all,

not judicial at all.

100% political.

lt all depends on the current social conditions

and the pressures and reactions.

Thank you very much.

l'm really ashamed for bothering you so much.

Oh, no. Please don't say that.

Goodbye.

Goodbye.

l think l should remove this cast and throw it away.

Do you remember the film ''Mirror''?

''Mirror'' was my second film.

lt was about a little girl whose mother hasn't shown up...

to pick her up from school, and she tries to go home on her own,

and to find the way. She gets on the bus, and as the bus goes,

she realises that she's going the wrong way.

Eventually the girl can't take it any more.

She takes out the cast and throws it away.

She says that she wants to be herself.

''What you've done is a lie.

l do know my way home.

l don't understand what you want from me.''

Don't look at the camera, Mina.

- l'm not acting anymore! - Cut.

Mina...

l want to get off!

What's the matter?

l'm not acting anymore!

Has somebody bothered you?

Open the door! Let me off!

- What should l do? - Stop the bus.

Open up!

Mina, won't you say?

No, l won't.

Let her get off.

l'm not sure about the outcome, but...

Bring the camera closer.

- You want to shoot this? - Yes.

- Shall we block off the sidewalk? - No. Never mind that.

She might touch the microphone.

Do we have her voice?

Yes.

Ready to shoot?

Let's go then.

Check the sound.

Recording.

So l was saying.

l think right now l'm in exactly a similar position as Mina.

Somehow l must remove my cast and throw it away.

This morning after we talked on the phone,

l sat down and reviewed the shots l had filmed earlier.

l realised it seems like pretending in a sense.

lt is turning out to be a lie and that it is somehow not me.

l remembered you were going to make a film...

about such problems.

What was it exactly?

Behind the scenes of Iranian filmmakers not making films.

l see.

That's why l asked you to come over.

Perhaps we could achieve something

inside this house.

l'll tell you now.

Just a moment, let me get this.

By the way, l don't know much about technical problems.

Now do we need additional light for the ambience?

Right now the problem is over-saturation.

The problem is over-exposure.

But there is too much light coming through the windows.

So l don't need to fetch additional light?

Good. Let's go into the kitchen.

What are you going to do?