A Hero (2022)

Fresh from taking out the Grand Prix award at Cannes, widely celebrated two-time Academy Award winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi is back with a new complex morality tale that many are calling his best since the Oscar Winning A Separation.

A richly textured take on gossip, social media and public perception, A HERO follows Rahim (the brilliant Amir Jadidi) a down and out calligrapher who is stuck in prison for a debt he is unable to pay. When he is unexpectedly granted a two-day release, Rahim is presented with a golden opportunity to pay off his debt and secure his freedom.

But much like life itself, things don’t go as planned. In what is a Farhadi house style, moral conundrums suddenly abound. One simple decision sees Rahim celebrated, but quickly people, including importantly his creditor, begin to question the humble prisoner’s story. Tense, unpredictable and darkly funny, the drama that ensues is vintage Farhadi – all the way to the final scene. A frequent entry in many major outlet’s top 10 lists, the master auteur has once again made one of the most eagerly anticipated cinematic gems of the year.