Yek satr vagheiat (2012) Reviews

• The film, 'One Line of Reality' directed by Ali Vazirian,is centered on the challenges faced by Iranian journalists in contemporary Tehran.

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  Vazirian who has a background as the graphic designer of Iranian journals, employs a social melodrama with strands of suspense to portray the frustrations and hopes of a journalist couple, Kasra (Hossein Yaari) and Forough (Mehraveh Sharifi-Nia). The career of the couple is endangered in the aftermath of political and social changes, which have led to the closure of many Iranian journals. Publishing a cultural-literary weekly magazine titled 'Farhang-e Fakhteh', they are facing several difficulties which discourage them to carry on the job, from financial problems which put them on the verge of bankruptcy to controlling influence of the monitoring organizations, despite having no political tendency. At the beginning of film we hear from the couple that an actress phoned them and kicked up a fuss over a report (which is quite on the mark) published in 'Farhang-e Fakhteh'. She accuses them of spreading lies, violation of honor and finally sues them. In the meantime, a woman who introduces herself as Ghavami, the head of the legal department of a Swedish company calls Kasra from Stockholm. She says the company produces computer parts and provides financial aids for NGOs in other countries, this time to Iran and to 'Farhang-e Fakhteh'. However she later asserts that a portion of their 505,000 euros grant should go to Iranian bloggers. The proposal made by Ghavami- who remains unseen and mysterious up to the end- pushes Kasra to mull over the idea of immigration, to discard other proposals on working as the editor of superficial popular journals, and embark on a travel to Turkey for receiving the money, accompanied by Forogh who is still skeptical. Despite all her emotional attachments to the city and people she knows, Forogh finally approves to take the chance and the couple head for Istanbul. The film does not represent an optimistic attitude to the issue of immigration of Iranian journalists. In a scene, Forough's father who tries to back the couple warns Kasra: "You're neither a political guy to devote yourself to a faction, nor interested in discos and places like that. You don't know any other job except writing and journalism, and just in your mother tongue." On the other hand, Kasra's insistence on implementing the plan without adequate exploration (although it's not justifiable) and taking a risk for an uncertain promise, seems to be a kind of greed which questions his ethical status.

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