No Bears

Jafar Panahi, who resides near the Turkish border, is directing his team to film an Iranian refugee couple in Turkey. They are trying to flee to France using fake passports. A village dispute ensnares Panahi. According to a rumor, Panahi accidentally snapped a photo of a forbidden relationship. His denial does not convince the villagers. Panahi's harmless artistic activities escalate the situation on both sides of the border, resulting in grave consequences.

Award-winning filmmaker Panahi is known for his neorealistic films. His films are restricted partly due to their depiction of the struggles of Iranian society. Upon participating in anti-government activities in 2010, he was convicted to six years in prison, barred from leaving the country, and banned from making films for two decades. Since then, he has made films in which he plays his role. No Bears is the latest attempt by the filmmaker to evade government restrictions while making films in Iran. The enforcement of Panahi's sentence led to his capture and imprisonment in Tehran in July 2022.

Azadeh M. Isaksen, Ph.D. holder in Nordic literature and film adaptation from UiT The Arctic University of Norway, will give a brief introduction to the film.