When their Tehran flat is badly damaged, Emad and Rana, a young married couple starring in a Tehran production of Death of a Salesman, are forced to move into a new flat, until recently occupied by a mysterious young woman.
When Rana is violently assaulted in the flat, a rift opens between the couple that will push their marriage to its limits, as Rana seeks solitude and Emad seeks revenge.
Drawing parallels between post-war New York and contemporary Tehran, The Salesman is a powerful social critique that touches on family, gender, and the chilling psychology of vengeance.
Asghar Faradi
2016
Iran
Persian/Farsi
124 MINS
M - Mature Themes
Winner: Oscar for Best Foreign Language Picture, Academy Awards 2017
Winner: Best Screenplay & Best Actor, Cannes Film Festival 2016
Winner: Special Jury Prize, Chicago International Film Festival 2016
Winner: Best International Film, Munich Film Festival 2016
Winner: Best Foreign Language Film, National Board of Review USA 2016
“★★★★ A film director of such consistent quality and control...A rich and complex take on guilt and anger.”
- John Bleasdale, Cine-Vue
“★★★★ Compelling...Mounts serious reflections on guilt and shame, trust and forgiveness.”
- David Sexton, Evening Standard
“Saturated with emotional intrigue...Almost metaphysical in its complexity...Tense and devastating.”
- Owen Gleiberman, Variety
“Leaves the viewer tense and breathless...Farhadi's work has revolutionized Irainian cinema.”
- Deborah Young, Hollywood Reporter
“About a splinter that opens a chasm in a marriage, that in turn exposes a gulf in Iranian society.”
- Jessica Kiang, The Playlist