Mystic Iran

With unprecedented access to Iranian spiritual rites and rituals, Mystic Iran offers viewers a sense of privileged inclusion in ceremonies that have been hidden from outsiders for centuries. In fact, the cumulative effect of this remarkable film is one of unifying grace; for anyone whose perceptions of Iran have been shaped by the Bush administration's destructive emphasis on fear and suspicion, filmmaker Aryana Farshad's intimate portrait will serve as an eye-opening glimpse of a land rich in spiritual wisdom and practice. Narrated by Shohreh Aghdashloo (Oscar nominee for her performance in 2003's House of Sand and Fog), Farshad's film sets out to discover the genuine heart of Islam in the filmmaker's native country, and finds it in the people and places where Allah is worshipped most fervently. In particular, Farshad was allowed to film both male and female Dervishes, the so-called "whirling" worshippers who spin, dance, and sway with such impassioned fervor that they literally enter a trancelike state of spiritual bliss. To view their rituals is to gain a new and compassionate appreciation for Islam and its practitioners, and this beautifully photographed film conveys a feeling of great peace and spiritual depth without coming across as didactic or condescending. Not a sales-pitch for Islamic religion but rather an enlightening portrait of Islamic faith, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (J. Shannon)