Unjustified
2022 · 15m · Iran
Directed by Mohammad R. Khavari
Genres: drama
Tones: contemplative, provocative
A university student falsely claims to be the husband of his pregnant classmate during a confrontation with their professor. When her actual husband arrives to meet that same professor, a misunderstanding unfolds, ultimately victimizing the young pregnant woman caught in the middle.
Picked by Margot
The scouts
Iranian social drama about misunderstandings spiraling out of institutional power — Farhadi comp is unavoidable and the abandoned-prison-as-school detail is the kind of context that elevates this kind of work. Vimeo says video isn't available, which is a bad sign for distribution.
Khavari shoots in an Iran-Iraq-War-era prison-turned-school, a location-as-thesis gesture that grounds the institutional-power critique in the Farhadi tradition. Unfortunately the Vimeo link reports unavailability, which complicates verification.
Vimeo page shows 'video isn't available, owner has been notified' — so the link's broken and I can only judge the description. Oscar-qualifying Tirana premiere plus Tehran International Short Film Festival selection for an Iranian university-as-prison metaphor is intriguing, but I can't verify the cut. Honest 5.
Reviews
If modern Iranian cinema is renowned for its social commentary, realism, and restrained aesthetic, then Unjustified by Mohammad R. Khavari stands as a powerful embodiment of that tradition.
A poignant portrait of oppression with a quietly radical approach.
Festivals
- Tirana International Film Festival 2022
- Fajr Film Festival 2023
- Persian Film Festival Australia