Shahid

2024 | Cinema 2024

“Shahid” is an autobiographical docu-drama that heavily blurs the lines between what is fiction, what is reenactment and what is documentary, while simultaneously being very meta and operating on various levels. It’s a very interesting films, in the way it is shot and made, the way it uses the cinematic form to comment on both the writing of that form and the story and in its themes.

There is so much in this from bureaucracy, immigration, family history, feminism, religion, trauma and traditions over the burdens of one’s own past and relatives to the politics, culture and history of Iran. It’s a thematically rich and very interesting film that, both by the way it is made and by the way it takes a turn again and again, keeps you guessing. It’s very self-aware too.

I really liked so much about this, but I think it was a bit messy (maybe intentionally so) and kinda lost its, I don’t know, focus maybe. In the way it takes on so many themes and topics it kinda doesn’t go deep enough into any of them. The again, the film knows that and even comments on that. I liked the essay-esque nature of it all, but that makes it more interesting than anything else.

In the end, I think this is a good and super interesting film. Not only in the things it deals with, but also in the unique style it presents itself in with great musical and dance numbers and effective breaking of the fourth wall. I liked it, but I think it lacked a certain something. But I respect it so much.

Also, this uses what heavily seems like AI “””art””” multiple times and it looks bad every time. That’s almost embarrassing cause it’s everything but art. Took me out every time.

2024 | Cinema 2024

“Shahid” is an autobiographical docu-drama that heavily blurs the lines between what is fiction, what is reenactment and what is documentary, while simultaneously being very meta and operating on various levels. It’s a very interesting films, in the way it is shot and made, the way it uses the cinematic form to comment on both the writing of that form and the story and in its themes.

There is so much in this from bureaucracy, immigration, family history, feminism, religion, trauma and traditions over the burdens of one’s own past and relatives to the politics, culture and history of Iran. It’s a thematically rich and very interesting film that, both by the way it is made and by the way it takes a turn again and again, keeps you guessing. It’s very self-aware too.

I really liked so much about this, but I think it was a bit messy (maybe intentionally so) and kinda lost its, I don’t know, focus maybe. In the way it takes on so many themes and topics it kinda doesn’t go deep enough into any of them. The again, the film knows that and even comments on that. I liked the essay-esque nature of it all, but that makes it more interesting than anything else.

In the end, I think this is a good and super interesting film. Not only in the things it deals with, but also in the unique style it presents itself in with great musical and dance numbers and effective breaking of the fourth wall. I liked it, but I think it lacked a certain something. But I respect it so much.

Also, this uses what heavily seems like AI “””art””” multiple times and it looks bad every time. That’s almost embarrassing cause it’s everything but art. Took me out every time.