Filmmaker Till Schauder's documentary focuses on a "journeyman" basketball player (i.e., accustomed to short-term contracts with teams around the world) named Kevin Sheppard, a U.S. Virgin Islands native who signs up for a season with A.S. Shiraz, one of the harder-luck teams in Iran's thriving basketball league. Along with fellow outsider player Zoran Majkic (a Serbian), Sheppard not only witnesses anti-American murals and slogans but also enjoys the fun-loving side of this Islamic nation. Appreciative fans (segregated in male/female sections) treat b-ball contests more like celebrations than high-pressure rivalries. Braving possible arrest for being without male escorts, beautiful ladies arrive at Sheppard and Makjic's Christmas party, while some Iranians who have visited the USA even speak of America glowingly. The narrative unfolds against a backdrop of the Bush and Obama administrations, Washington's strained diplomatic relations, and the Tehran dictatorship cracking down on women while also fighting grassroots democratic uprisings in 2009. Farsi-language hip-hop provides a solid soundtrack to this captivating cross-cultural entry about athletics serving as a humanizing window into an "enemy" culture. Highly recommended. (C. Cassady)
The Iran Job
Film Movement, 95 min., in English & Farsi w/English subtitles, not rated, DVD: $24.95, Mar. 4 Volume 29, Issue 2
The Iran Job
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: