Panahi's Progressive Film Offside
Brave Cineaste Addresses the Double Standard in Iranian Society
In Iran, a group of Iranian girls sneak into an international soccer match. Banned from attending all sports events, and determined to watch the game, the plot thickens.
Girls Wait for the Score
Progressive Iranian filmmaker, Jafar Panahi kicks a winning goal in his film, Offside. In Iran, women are banned from attending all sports events. Panahi creates a socio-political film which focuses on several young girls who mask themselves as boys to watch an Iranian qualifying soccer match. They get caught and the guards hold them in a pen above the stadium. One of the more sympathetic guards gives moment to moment commentary of the soccer game for the girls.
Stadium Frenzy Only Heard
In “traditionalist” Iran, women are delicate creatures. They are not to be exposed to boorish behavior. So, many viewers may find this film extremely humorous in certain points. Panahi intentionally punctuated the cultural differences, in particular, to criticize the gender treatment. However, one cannot help but sense the frustration of what the girls must go through daily. In Offside, there is only the stadium and holding pen. The stadium is only seen in a few extremely humorous, yet telling scenes brilliantly captured by Panahi. The audience is given a chance to understand how the genders divide. Panahi exquisitely leverages the rules in favor of the girls.
The Girls in the Holding Pen
The girls only hear the game. Their devotion to soccer is quite apparent even through their boyish attire. Aside from their painted faces, their big pants, and boy’s shirt, their personalities come out strong. "Smoking girl" (Shayesteh Irani) puffs and taunts her captors while "Soldier girl" (Mahnaz Zabihi) is a rail-thin smarty-pants in Army clothes. She gets all the way to the V.I.P. section before she was caught. These two, with "First girl" (Sima Mobarak Shahi), "Girl soccer player" (Ida Sadeghi) keep the film moving splendidly.
Winning the Game
This film is not only about watching an international qualifying match or even winning it. It is about who has the right to watch sports events. Whenever an individual “right” is lost or banned (let alone an entire group) without a crime committed, someone (or a group) suffers. If no crime has been committed, society must raise the question: why? If society does not, eventually someone will. In this case, Panahi does through brave artistic cinema.
Unfortunately, in Iran Panahi is not treated with the fame he deserves as a talented filmmaker. However, he continues to direct films with socio-political meaning. His past films include The Circle (2000) and Crimson’s Gold (2003). Both films courageously criticize the Iranian society from the inside. As a target of censorship, he gives inspiration for others to act, not just watch.
