Sadly, but totally understandable with the current war taking place, I only saw two new Iranian films at MIFF this year, Mahnaz Mohammadi's “Roya”, and “The Friend's House Is Here”, a delightful little film from directors Hossein Keshavarz and Maryam Ataei. Most films coming out of Iran deal with the crushing reality of living life under the current regime, and the dangers that exist on a day to day basis. “The Friend's House Is Here” deals with this exact same material, although here it plays more in the background, with the key focus on the film being about friendship and solidarity, and making the most out of your life even during these difficult times. As such it is a much lighter affair than is the norm coming out of Iranian cinema, but it is what also makes it stand out in the crowd. First and foremost, it is a celebration of life and particularly friendships, something the directors really wanted to highlight, as they feel this is what the world needs right now.
“The Friend's House Is Here” is a film with incredible energy which is due to not only the type of film that it is, but the way it was shot. Directors Keshavarz and Ataei shot the film in secret, guerilla style so they were grabbing shots and scenes quickly when on the busy streets of Iran, but like I said this gives the film so much energy and an immediacy to it all. The film also feels up to the moment too, as there are references to the current war and recent seize fire, and the regime's full shut down of the internet and communications during the recent massacre of protesters in an effort to not let the truth become known worldwide. Again, these points are not laboured on as that is not the aim of this movie, but characters mention how much they missed each other when they couldn't get in contact with them for such a long period, and how they worried about one another. It is about the friendships of the group, not the bigger picture of Iran today.
When “The Friend's House Is Here” begins, we are actually witness to one of Pari's underground plays depicting a scene of a panicked Pari as she searches for her best friend Hanna, worried she has been taken by authorities over her dance videos she posts on the internet. The set of the play is like a pared back version of Lars Von Trier's “Dogville” (2003); there are no walls or doors defining each set, with sound effects used to show knocks on doors or doors opening. Initially I was worried that the whole film was going to be like this, especially as I knew it had been shot in secret, and thought this was how the directors got around it, and I wasn't that thrilled to sit through a film so much like a play. However soon the carpet is pulled out from under the viewers feet to reveal that, yes, this is just an underground play directed by and starring Pari. From here, we go to the after party where friends unwind and talk about the performance, and the film starts in earnest, as we meet all the various characters important in the film. It becomes a lot more cinematic too, beautifully shot by cinematographer Ali Ehsani who is able to capture little moments of fun and warmth between friends. The film has a real casual visual sense, but very professional looking, which belies its shot in secrecy status. Also early on in “The Friend's House Is Here” we are treated less to full scenes, but more snippets of the two girls, Hanna and Pari, as they enjoy their daily lives, either together, by themselves or with other friends. The editing by Hossein Keshavarz is exemplary here, as it gives a kaleidoscopic vision of all the fun the girls find in their lives, while also giving the film the energy I keep talking about.
The film changes around the halfway mark as Pari falls foul of the regime who arrest her for performing underground theatre without any permits. This is actually a chilling scene by the way it progresses. The government agent first comes across like he is a fan of Pari's performance before he starts asking if she thought about asking for a permit so her plays could reach bigger audiences and didn't have to be shown underground. She replies in the negative stating that she was not willing to censor her project so more people could see it. The agent keeps the conversation going down that path, talking about all the other plays she had done, what would need to have been censored in them, and where she performed them. Pari suddenly realises that she is in big trouble, and the man is not who she originally thought, and worse they clearly have a whole file on her already. This scene is shot via one single take, and one shot that starts very wide but slowly zooms in closer and closer to Pari and the man, as the enormity of her situation is realised. In other Iranian films, the focus of the film would switch to Pari's time incarcerated and the hell she would be going through while being interrogated, but “The Friend's House Is Here” does the opposite focusing on Hanna and her attempts to find the money to bail Pari out. I should mention that Hanna has just got a visa and plane tickets to leave the country, but is willing to give all this up for her friends safety despite knowing the unlikeliness of her getting another exit visa to leave the country for good. Friendship and solidarity. Once Pari is out, the rest of the film is about the community coming together to get the money to pay back Hanna so she can still leave like she had originally planned. It may put a financial burden on all of them, but everyone is willing to help as much as they can.
Directors Hossein Keshavarz and Maryam Ataei really wanted to show the Iran of today, which has changed dramatically thanks to the women's movement in the past couple of years, highlighting a much more colourful and fun looking Tehran than is usually seen in Iranian cinema. It is also quite a shock to see a film with almost no hijabs in it, characters dancing enthusiastically to pop music, and women wearing clothes that show off the shape of their bodies. When it comes to Hanna, not only is her hair out, but you should see the volume of it too! Some of the most fun scenes in the film are Hanna choreographing her dances that she plans to film for the internet, because again they are full of so much energy, and it is just not something you usually see in an Iranian film. My favourite moment in “The Friend's House Is Here” though is a tiny moment of conversation between Hanna and Pari where, after getting so much advice about leaving from friends and family, Pari finally asks Hanna “what would you do if I asked you to stay?”. Hanna replies “I would stay”, which Pari replies to with silence. She does not ask Hanna to stay because she knows life would be better for her away from Iran; it is such a beautiful and real moment but one that happens so quickly and naturally.
All of the female and male actors involved in “The Friend's House Is Here” are wonderful and have a real friend dynamic to them, and this is because most of them are friends in real life and most of them are non-professional actors coming together to help the directors make their film. Hana Mana and Mahshad Bahram, who play Hanna and Pari respectively, are both fantastic and have a lightness in their performance, and come across as two people that really enjoy each other's company and life as a whole. During the second half when life gets more serious for the pair, the camaraderie between the girls stays as strong even as the stakes get higher; they always want what's best for their friend. While I have highlighted the two girl's performances, everyone is really great though, even those who have the smallest role, as there is a sense of community between them all.
Before I wrap this up, I want to mention a little anecdote that took place at my final MIFF screening of 2026 which was for, ironically, the opening night film “Wicker”. The directors, Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson, introduced their film, while explaining that they too had seen ten or so films at MIFF while showing off their own film and that they had fell in love with a beautiful film, which was none other than “The Friend's House Is Here”. They then pointed out that the directors of the film, Hossein Keshavarz and Maryam Ataei, were in the audience that night, and the crowd erupted in cheers. It was such a sweet moment of filmmakers supporting other filmmakers.
Overall, “The Friend's House Is Here” is a delightful film, and considerably different than the norm coming out of Iran. Rather than focusing on the more heavy topics of what life is like living under the current regime, directors Hossein Keshavarz and Maryam Ataei keep this element in the background of their film, while highlighting the friendship and solidarity of a group of friends determined to make the most of their lives, despite their difficult living situation. I also have to say that I absolutely love the clever title as it cheekily answers the question of Abbas Kiarostami's “Where Is The Friend's House?” (1987). While “The Friend's House Is Here” may not be as devastatingly powerful as some other Iranian films, it is well worth searching out.
3.5 Stars.
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