Synopsis

Two young buskers in Tehran, a boy and a girl, have their accordion confiscated as the result of an incident. “The Accordion is the story of humankind’s materialistic need to survive in a pretentious religion. In it, a boy is prevented from playing for reasons of religious prohibition, which he accepts in order to survive.

But the main character of the film is the girl or, perhaps, in my view, the symbol of the next generation.

In her ideal world she realizes man’s need for survival and decides to avoid the violence and share her small income with someone else who is also in need.” -- Jafar Panahi



Segment of the film project "THEN AND NOW Beyond Borders and Differences" produced by ART for The World in 2010 and based on the article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: "Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion".

"I'm a director who pays attention to social aspects and what's happening around me ... 'The Accordion' shows my feelings about what's happening and how I see reality," -- Jafar Panahi 

One of the most celebrated Iranian and international artists compresses his storytelling and reflections in a short film that not only captures Tehran today, but also serves as a metaphor on violence, tolerance and hope. It was, in fact, Jafar Pahani’s vitality and courage here that sparked our passions most.

However, the director would not have conceived this splendid “short story” were it not for backing from the wonderful utopia that is the omnibus film Then and Now, dedicated to overcoming barriers and differences and produced by Art for the World with support from the United Nations.

We further await to see and applaud The Accordion in its final “home,” alongside works from other great directors, including Tata Amaral, Fanny Ardant, Faouzi Bensaidi, Sergei Bodrov, Isabelle Coixet, Mahanat-Saleh Haroun, Hüseyin Karabey, Masbedo, Murali Nair, Guka Omarova, Idrissa Ouédraogo, Abderrahmane Sissako and Robert Wilson. -- Giorgio Gosetti, Venice Days

Venice (Venice Days), AFI (Short Films)