Guys, there is a world of movies and drama serials other than Hollywood, Bollywood and our home country. Almost a decade ago, a friend introduced me to Iranian art and literature. And trust me, the content was so beautiful and engaging that I couldn’t help myself looking for Iranian movies which were crisp, short and skillfully made.

Years ago, once I was sitting with my husband and this topic (foreign movies) emerged from nowhere. I then told him how hooked I was to their art and literature once and suddenly I wanted to show him the movie I had watched and fell in love with. But unfortunately, I forgot its name. You have no idea what itching did I feel in my mind to recall its name. I spent hours and suddenly the director’s name popped into my head – it was Majid Majidi, one of the most renowned directors of Iran. You have no idea how relieved I was to finally find “Baran“.

My husband also liked the movie and then we both downloaded almost all the movies by this director and watched them one by one (yes, we can love somebody thisssssss much :)). Here is what we watched and incredibly liked. If you were already convinced of my liking (referring to Pakistani Dramas – blog link here) then you will definitely like these ones as well. Plus, I really want you to get out of your cozy cocoon and see how the world is progressing in this domain.

But before I jump onto these movies, let me share with you one of my childhood stories. Once my parents went to the states and left all their kids behind. Btw, it was their general practice and I never recall having any trouble with that. We are five siblings and were quite enough for one another. So it was the summer of 1997 and we were all home with our taayee to look after us. I guess they were out for a month and we decided to take that time as an opportunity to watch as many movies as we could.

Those were the times of watching movies on the VCR and getting movie cassettes on rent. So with all the little pocket money we had, we watched a total of 100 movies………*drum rolls*….yes you heard me right, we watched a 100 movies. And felt extremely great about it. There came a time when we had totally ran out of movie names and had to put a break to this but honestly, we had the time of our lives….surely, the mouse plays with the cat is away 🙂

So coming back to the main topic, please note that these are critically acclaimed pieces of art with 8+ rating on IMDB. They are more like Shabana Azmi’s kind of movie – I hope you are really getting my point…simple, serious and emotionally intense art movies!

1- Baran: This great movie is a love story of a guy who sees a girl accidentally and falls in love with her. The minor spoilers (but making sure that it won’t hurt you much) is that they never speak with each other during the ENTIRE movie and yet the emotions get strong and intense as the movie unwinds. Most of the times, a movie/season/drama becomes my favorite when it has a lesson or a take away for me. This one surely told me that love has no language. You can love somebody with your soul and that can be just enough to sacrifice your whole life for him.

2- Children of Heaven: Oh, how much you will love me recommending this innocent story of two siblings! One of them has her shoe lost and this beautiful movie is all about the struggle of the other sibling in getting a new pair of shoe. The movie has so much to show and talk about – the little things which makes our life a ‘life’. Since I have promised you guys for not giving spoilers, please note that this a roller coaster ride of emotions and drama.

3- The Color of Paradise: Now that I’m writing the third name of the movie I’m realizing that Majid Majidi has a lot to tell about kids. Because, these are all the stories of children who have a simple mind surrounded by complex situations. This is a heart-touching story of a blind boy who wants to meet God!

4- The Song of Sparrows: Again a simple and sweet story about a poor father who wants to buy a hearing aid for his child. This story showcases the struggles of a common man. You will like it!

5- Incendies: This movie gave me a headache. Seriously, it is a complex movie. I have nothing much to say and I can’t guarantee whether you will end up liking it or not but the plot will remain stuck in your head for a long period of time. Btw, this one is not made my Majid Majidi. Watch it at your own risk – IMDB Rating: 8.2!

Other than these, we watched a couple of more movies. I didn’t like them a lot but in case you will get hooked on to Iranian movies and want to watch some more, then you may want to see “A Separation” – story of a couple who goes through their divorce. We also watched “About Elly”. I didn’t like it much but if your parents are also away and you are desperately looking for means to kill time then you may want to kill it this way. lol.