The Early Films of Asghar Farhadi: Dancing In The Dust, Beautiful City

From master director Asghar Farhadi (Academy Award winners for Best International Film, THE SALESMAN and A SEPARATION), Film Movement presents his first two films, DANCING IN THE DUST and BEAUTIFUL CITY, restored and released as a double feature on Blu Ray for the first time ever in North America.

DANCING IN THE DUST:
Shortly following their impulsive wedding, the naive, young Nazar is pressured by his family into divorcing his new wife, Reyhane, after rumors circulate of her mother's possible sex-work. Still deeply in love, he insists on paying back Reyhane's marriage dowry despite his insolvency. Nazar is soon on the run from creditors and finds himself hiding out in the desert where he meets a taciturn old snake hunter. Much to the man's chagrin, Nazar insists on working with the hunter until he earns enough money to return to the city and make good on his mistakes. "Engrossing and eye-catching" (Variety), Farhadi's debut feature DANCING IN THE DUST ultimately reveals itself to be a tale of love, sacrifice, and redemption. Presented in a new 2K restoration.

BEAUTIFUL CITY:
The sophmore feature of Asghar Farhadi. After spending two years in juvenile detention for killing his girlfriend as a teenager, the troubled, young Akbar is transferred to an adult facility shortly after turning 18. No longer a minor, his death sentence will soon be legally carried out. Meanwhile outside, Ala — Akbar’s friend and newly paroled petty thief — along with Akbar's sister Firoozeh (played by Taraneh Alidoosti, in the first of her three collaborations with director Farhadi) set out to convince the victim's bereaved father to forgive Akbar, which could potentially reduce his sentence from death to life in prison. Navigating the complexities of Iran's judicial system together, the two form a close bond in their desperate attempts to seek clemency before it is too late. A “well-acted [and] compelling human drama," (The Hollywood Reporter), Beautiful City is now presented in a new 2K restoration approved by the director.

directed by: Asghar Farhadi
starring: Yousef Khodaparast, Baran Kosari, Faramarz Gharibian, Taraneh Alidoosti, Babak Ansari, Ahoo Kheradmand
2003, 2004 / 203 min (combined) / 1.85:1 / Persian PCM Stereo, PCM Dual Mono

Additional info:

• Region Free 2-Disc Blu-ray
• Video essays
• Trailers
• English subtitles