Synopsis

During a school lesson in Persia the pupils learn that two plus two equals five. No that the lie has been turned into a truth, it becomes a crime to say otherwise.

Epic theatre or a simple fable – the short scene in the classroom tells us about the mechanisms of dictatorship and tyranny.

Babak Anvari tackles a very heavy subject with a distinguished light touch. –Oldenburg Film Festival



In a drab, anonymous gray school governed by a strict authoritarian regime, an apparently unremarkable day is turned on its head following a seemingly ridiculous announcement.

Disbelieving at first, the all male, identically uniformed pupils are informed that what they had always been taught as fact is no longer true.

When the incredulous students speak out, what initially seems laughably absurd becomes desperately real as they are forced to question how far they will go to stand up for their beliefs.

Two & Two is an allegory for the absurdness of dictatorship and tyranny - and the resilience of the human spirit.

Cast: Bijan Daneshmand (Teacher), Ravi Karimi (Student 1), Pouyan Lotfi (Student 2)

Oldenburg

Nominated – Best Short Film, Bafta Film Awards, 2012

Director's Statement

My main motivation to make Two & Two was to explore the desire which drives people to challenge authority in a despotic situation. I believe such desires are  within all of us.

I have always been interested in the notion of resistance. To what extent will people sit back and accept the forces in power dictating their lives? Can we define the point when it becomes absolutely necessary to question orders?

The right to question something is a fundamental and democratic principle. Just like a child who constantly questions everything to better understand his or her surroundings, as adults we need to be able to exercise our right to question if we want to begin to dealing with the situations which challenge us.

These are questions which I have tried to pose in Two &Two; "Can people's mind-set be changed by using brute force? Or does it only inspire further resistance from the people?"

I believe that Two & Two has a universal message which is not bound to any specific region or country. We still witness various forms of domineering powers in today's world, in both the east and the west, which hold people back from making progress on pressing issues.

By making this film I am aiming to point out the senselessness of absolute authoritarianism in an allegorical manner. Human beings are born free and we will strive for global justice for as long as we exist.