The Majority
- This is a past program
Part of the UCLA Film & Television Archive’s Celebration of Iranian Cinema screening series. Register at cinema.ucla.edu to attend this in-theater screening.
Iran, 2021
A rural village in pre-revolution Iran has been struggling economically for years when the imminent return of a now wealthy former resident sparks hope that she’ll grant her hometown much needed financial aid. As the local bigwigs make bumbling plans for a grand welcome, a light satire of small town foibles seems in store but when the woman (Hadieh Tehrani) reveals the terrible price of her support, it becomes clear that co-writer-director Mohsen Gharaei has bigger themes on his mind.
In adapting The Visit by Swiss dramatist Friedrich Dürrenmatt, Gharaei unflinchingly confronts the nature of collective guilt, human weakness and revenge as the town decides whether to sacrifice one among them for the benefit of all. Twists and turns abound as secrets are revealed, fingers are pointed and knives are sharpened right up until the shocking finale.
(2021, dir. Mohsen Gharaei, DCP, color, 120 min.)