On December 20th in 2010, an acclaimed Iranian director Jafar Panahi was sentenced to six years in prison and banned for the next twenty years from film-making, political activity, traveling or giving interviews to the media. This incident brought the already well-known director to new popularity. Therefore, his films have been recently watched and studied again and again. In 1995 he started with his cheerful debut The White Balloon and continued making such films. Although, The Mirror (1997), his second film, was a much more complex study about the illusionary reality of film it was still a comedy focusing on a child. His next film -- and to my mind his finest -- The Circle (2000) differed a lot from his earlier works. It was a ruthless and dark film about the depressive situation of Iranian women. Panahi continued this desolate vision in Crimson Gold (2003) which was also banned by the Iranian governance. However, in this case, Offside marked a turning point for the director. Even though it was still characterized by melancholy and oppression, it was a warm satire about women who wanted to watch football.
In Offside football means a celebration of solidarity for men to which women aren't invited. Because of this, they try to invent wacky methods that would get them into the stadium. The others are inexperienced and the others are braver than most men. All the women who are caught for doing this are put behind bars, guarded by a group of young soldiers, until the game ends -- after which they will be transfered to jail or, in worst case scenario, death row. At its heart, Offside is all about the verbal battle between the women, or girls actually, and the soldiers. In this battle, the girls have a better position because the soldiers don't really have any real reasons for their acts. They have no explanations nor answers. There are no valuable reasons for the oppression of women and even they have to accept it. In fact, soon we find out that the soldiers don't like their job either.
Not surprisingly, Panahi doesn't blame the people for this, and all the characters -- even the soldiers -- are very sympathetic and loyal. The mindlessness of the social situation is most brilliantly illustrated in one scene where a soldier must take one of the girls to the toilet. She must hide her eyes, so she wouldn't see the fierce writings on the walls of the men's room (because there is no ladies' room at the stadium). It is obvious that Panahi criticizes the system, not the people. He loves his land but dislikes the governance. As a comedy, Offside doesn't rise to the level of Panahi's finest works but it is a delightful film; yet filled with horrible things. It carries light to the dark, so to speak, and therefore can easily be associated with the neo-realist films in postwar Italy. Offside, as Panahi's last film before his imprisonment, is a sparkler in the dark.
In Offside football means a celebration of solidarity for men to which women aren't invited. Because of this, they try to invent wacky methods that would get them into the stadium. The others are inexperienced and the others are braver than most men. All the women who are caught for doing this are put behind bars, guarded by a group of young soldiers, until the game ends -- after which they will be transfered to jail or, in worst case scenario, death row. At its heart, Offside is all about the verbal battle between the women, or girls actually, and the soldiers. In this battle, the girls have a better position because the soldiers don't really have any real reasons for their acts. They have no explanations nor answers. There are no valuable reasons for the oppression of women and even they have to accept it. In fact, soon we find out that the soldiers don't like their job either.
Not surprisingly, Panahi doesn't blame the people for this, and all the characters -- even the soldiers -- are very sympathetic and loyal. The mindlessness of the social situation is most brilliantly illustrated in one scene where a soldier must take one of the girls to the toilet. She must hide her eyes, so she wouldn't see the fierce writings on the walls of the men's room (because there is no ladies' room at the stadium). It is obvious that Panahi criticizes the system, not the people. He loves his land but dislikes the governance. As a comedy, Offside doesn't rise to the level of Panahi's finest works but it is a delightful film; yet filled with horrible things. It carries light to the dark, so to speak, and therefore can easily be associated with the neo-realist films in postwar Italy. Offside, as Panahi's last film before his imprisonment, is a sparkler in the dark.