Cinema-ye Azad: Nasib Nasibi

Screening Cinema-ye Azad: Nasib Nasibi June 13, 2026 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm Billy Wilder Theater More Details More Details 2026 UCLA Celebration of Iranian Cinema Visit the UCLA Film & Television Archive website (opens in a new tab) to learn more about upcoming screenings and events. REGISTER FOR THIS SCREENING (opens in a new tab) Please note: Registration does not guarantee entry if the event reaches capacity. Admission is granted on a first come, first served basis. Patrons who have registered will need to obtain their free tickets at the box office, where seating will be assigned. Any seats remaining 15 minutes before showtime will be released to standby patrons. In person: curators Arta Barzanji, Hadi Alipanah (via video) Cinema-ye Azad, or Free Cinema, was an underground movement of filmmakers in Iran that began in 1969, with the explicit aim of creating a fully independent cinema opposed to the mainstream “Filmfarsi” in both form and content, methods and ideals. Where the better-known, contemporaneous Iranian New Wave predominantly consisted of foreign-educated, Tehran-based middle-class filmmakers, Cinema-ye Azad consisted of self-taught filmmakers, sharing resources and knowledge with one another to bring the possibility of cultural production to disadvantaged provinces. At its height, Cinema-ye Azad boasted hundreds of active members, a critical magazine and festivals around the country, but the dream was short-lived as the movement ceased activities after the revolution. Its works, however, are being rediscovered thanks to the dedication of curators and archivists in London and Iran. As part of this year's UCLA Celebration of Iranian Cinema, the Archive is pleased to present two screenings highlighting the films of two key Cinema-ye Azad figures, Nasib Nasibi and Behnam Jafari. Program curated by Arta Barzanji and Shaghayegh Raoufi with research and archival support from Hadi Alipanah. Film notes written by Arta Barzanji. Screening 1 of 2 From Isfahan to Abarkooh Year: 1970 Country: Iran Language: Persian with English subtitles Runtime: 23 min. Digital. B&W. A report on historical buildings, legends and traditions along the route from Isfahan to Shiraz, passing through regions including Mahyar, Shahreza, Ziaratgah, Aminabad, and Izadkhast. The film mixes documentary observation with the poetic vision seen in Nasib Nasibi’s later works. DCP. Director: Nasib Nasibi. Screenwriters: Nasib Nasibi, Abbas Nalbandian. With: Bahram Ardabili. Screening 2 of 2 How Frightening Is the Darkness of the Soul! Year: 1972 Country: Iran Language: Persian with English subtitles Runtime: 60 min. Digital. B&W. How Frightening Is the Darkness of the Soul! is an avant-garde film poem about drowning in a world of madness in search of true liberation. It highlights the close connections between literary and theatrical circles and the filmmaker's approach to avant-garde cinema. Initially, the main character attempts to escape the monotony of daily life by immersing herself in a world of madness. The film is a journey through the path she takes. Director: Nasib Nasibi. Screenwriters: Nasib Nasibi, Abbas Nalbandian. With: Mahvash Bargi, Farhad Majd Abadi, Shokooh Najm Abadi. Related Series EVENT SERIES 2026 UCLA Celebration of Iranian Cinema June 5, 2026 - June 21, 2026 The UCLA Film & Television Archive continues its long tradition of bringing the best cinema from Iran and the Iranian diaspora to Los Angeles