'No Bears' Review: Jafar Panahi Continues to Blur the Lines Between Fiction and Reality [TIFF 2022]
Director JAFAR PANAHI’S LATEST FEATURE IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FILMS OF THE YEAR.
One of the most exceptional stories in global cinema over the past two decades has been that of Jafar Panahi. Filmmaker Jafar Panahi has endured struggles within his home country of Iran that cannot be ignored. Panahi’s outspoken activism against his nation’s government has put him in hot water countless times. He has had to make his last several films illegally, with the government having put him not only under house arrest, but also placing a ban on his right to travel internationally and on his right to work on any media. That means no scriptwriting, no interviews, and no films. Ahead of the release of his latest film, No Bears, Panahi was arrested by the Iranian government and was sentenced to six years imprisonment for propaganda against the regime.
Panahi has shown incredible perseverance, and despite his arrest, No Bears saw the light of day. After winning the Special Jury Prize at the 79th Venice International Film Festival just a few weeks ago, the film held its North American premiere at TIFF. This is the director’s tenth feature, with his most notable works being The White Balloon (1995), Offside (2006), This is Not a Film (2011), and Taxi (2015). Panahi’s latest is an experimental film, but ultimately it is a fictional drama. Much like his other recent films, Panahi plays himself, and he is the lead of the film as well. Shot on what is seemingly a relatively thin budget, No Bears operates as a commentary on artistic freedoms, the current state of Iran, and just who art impacts.
The film opens with a movie within a movie. We see a short scene play out, shot in the streets of Turkey. The scene is a few minutes long, and the camera focuses on a waitress (played by Mina Khosravani). Several passersby in the city give the viewer an insight into the culture and attitude of the region. Some are playing instruments hoping for money, others selling goods. The scene eventually ends, with Reza (played by Reza Heydari) stepping in front of the frame and beginning an exchange with Panahi through the screen. Panahi, who cannot attend the shoot due to being banned from leaving the country, is directing the shoot through a video call from a small village in Iran. The self-referential, or meta-contextual work from Panahi is the emphasis here. This may not be a documentary film, but it aims at being a realistic picture of his circumstances.
Panahi struggles with the WiFi connectivity in the small village he is overseeing the shoot from. Oftentimes he is unable to video call his crew, leaving them to rely on the outlines he constructed for them. The village Panahi is in is small, and located on the border of Turkey and Iran. The values of those in the village are very traditional, and despite their initially welcoming attitude towards Panahi, they grow suspicious of him. The film strongly exhibits just how out of place Panahi feels as an artist where he lives. He is never sitting comfortably, and he is always on the run.
The movie within a movie arc in No Bears featuring Zara (Mina Khosravani) and Bakhtiar (played by Bakhtiar Panjei) is meant to be a movie that follows their (Zara and Bakhtiar) bid to escape Iran. This is meant to be an autobiographical film about these two characters, something that they previously did accomplish. As the film progresses, there is an animosity towards Panahi that grows among the crew, especially Zara. Panahi aims to capture a fantasized look at these characters within the movie, and Zara addresses how fake and manipulative this movie actually is. No Bears plays with the idea of fiction's impact on reality. It is very contemplative in that way, and the movie within a movie arc speaks to these ideas quite profoundly.
Back in the village, Panahi is facing pressure from those who live in the village. There are claims that he had taken a photo of a man and woman. We do not see the photo, that is left to interpretation. The said photo features the young woman, Gozal (played by Darya Alei), and her lover Solduz (played by Amir Davari). The worry among the village stems from the traditional values that have been exploited onto Gozal. Gozal already has a man who she is said to be wed to, that being Jacob (played by Javad Siyahi). The villagers not only want to see the photo but many of them want Solduz punished, as well as the punishment of Panahi. Despite being adamant that he did not take said photo, Panahi is still pressured to leave the village by those around him.
There is a subtle yet powerful undertow that runs throughout this film. The implications of the photograph, and the implications of the movie within a movie both suggest that art ultimately hurts people. Whether through indirect or direct intention, the outcomes of Panahi’s work have repercussions for those around him. The film is powerful as a result, and it is some of the most reflective work of Panahi’s career. This meta reflection of it all adds a layer to the filmmaker's entire filmography.
No Bears represents a seminal point in the career of one of our most brilliant artists. His contribution to cinema cannot be ignored, and his perseverance despite the actions of his nation should be considered inspirational to all aspiring artists and filmmakers. Panahi continues to show why he is the master at blurring the line between fiction and reality. Using his own life circumstances to elevate his storytelling in a way that is not only captivating narratively, but also insightful, is where Panahi excels. This film is more than just a statement. It is a reflection on one's own body of work. If this is Panahi’s last film, it is a special one. No Bears is a film you cannot miss, and with the risks Panahi and other artists have taken to create their art, the least we as an audience can do is watch.