Qeysar

Masoud Kimiai's 1969 Iranian film follows Qeysar, who returns after what was done to his sister and the killing of his brother. Rather than seek justice, he decides to settle the account himself. The film does not glorify revenge, nor does it hide its reasons. The narrative shows how, in an order where the law does not work, the idea of honour becomes a compulsion; every step carries Qeysar somewhere he cannot return from. Behrouz Vossoughi leads. On release the film was taken as a break in Iranian cinema: an urban, hard, realist manner began to displace the popular form that had prevailed, and it is remembered alongside the beginning of the new wave. Who it's for: those curious about the history of Iranian cinema and revenge narratives. Who it's not for: viewers expecting a close that questions the violence; the film follows its hero's road to the end.