‘This is Not a Film’ examines one day in the life of a censored artist

Based on pure aesthetics, there’s nothing special about This is Not a Film. The 74-minute documentary, which is currently playing at New York City’s Film Forum, features few characters, no plot, amateurish camerawork and one large iguana. But although it may look like a home video, director Jafar Panahi’s visual testament is a haunting piece of cinema.

Panahi, an Iranian filmmaker, tried to make a fictional movie in his native country, but the government shut his production down. The director later found himself awaiting a prison sentence and forbidden to direct any more movies. His ban on filmmaking is set to last 20 years. His prison sentence will likely last six years. The nasty feeling of having the government so obtrusively affect his life will last an entire lifetime.

While sitting in his Tehran apartment, with his wife and children out for the day, Panahi decides to invite over a friend and try an experiment. He’s forbidden from directing a movie, and he’s forbidden from writing screenplays. But maybe he can read his censored script into the camera; this way, the project doesn’t wind up hidden forever.

Panahi and his cameraman, Mojtaba Mirtahmasb, recreate some scenes from the censored movie, but the cinematic magic is missing. Panahi stops midway through a scene and decides not to continue with the experiment. The realization that he’s headed for prison and his art will forever be affected becomes too much to bear. He asks his friend to turn off the camera, but Mirtahmasb doesn’t listen. We continue to watch this man struggle with the uneasy power of realization — receiving an uncensored look at censorship.

The only other living thing in Panahi’s apartment is his daughter’s iguana, which scales the bookcases like a rock climber. Other than the pet and the camaraderie of his friend, it’s just Panahi and the camera. This is Not a Film feels like a eulogy, a last will and testament, a calming before the storm. When the director puts in DVDs of his older movies it’s almost as if we’re watching a loved one at a funeral flipping through pictures from some bygone era. Panahi’s films are distant memories, representations of a life he may never live again.

We often hear about censored art, but it’s always part of some overt dramatization (with Sen. Joseph McCarthy pointing a wagging finger at some presumed Commie). This is Not a Film is much more subtle, and thus effective. Panahi reminds us how the Iranian justice system has robbed him of his independence and artistry. He sits on his couch, looking forever forlorn, unable to properly express himself.

The experimental and no-frills nature of the documentary may detract some, especially those looking for a polished film featuring talking heads, statistics and an epilogue. This is Not a Film features none of these, and that’s one of the reasons why it feels so brave and powerful. Here’s a message film that never pushes its message or hits the audience over the head. It simply exists, portraying reality in a faraway locale. It’s up to us to open our eyes and realize the injustice of Panahi’s predicament.

Who would have thought that a celebrated filmmaker’s most touching work would come at a time of personal crisis? Here’s a film (although I hesitate to use that word) that feels as personal as storytelling can get. It’s not meant to be anything but a “day in the life of” of a censored artist, and by showing this reality, we are subject to a life altered forever.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

• This is Not a Film

• In Persian with English subtitles

• 2012

• Directed by Jafar Panahi and Mojtaba Mirtahmasb

• Running time: 74 minutes

• Rating: