One. Two. One (Yek. Do. Yek)

Mania Akbari is one of Iran's most distinctive filmmakers and. One. Two. One is her latest feature, and most confrontational work, whose banning finally led to her exile from Iran. Composed of rhythmically structured and meticulously planned long takes, the film presents a series of conversational pieces connected to a beautiful woman named Ava whose face has been disfigured in an acid attack. Truths emerge in close up and a narrative of love, loss and renewal unfolds from each episode. Akbari questions the concept of beauty and the weight placed on it by her society but her protagonist Ava also functions as a metaphor for the scars her country bears, making this deceptively modest film inherently rich in courage and ideas.

The disk DOES NOT have Dutch audio and subtitles.