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The Stranger and the Fog (15) + Introduction

Masterpieces of the Iranian New Wave

A misty scene with a bright green tint, showing a woman standing next to a moored boat.

Impossible to see for decades, Bahram Beyzaie's dazzling film is a symbolic tale that pays tribute to the cinema of Akira Kurosawa in the most unexpected ways.

A mysterious stranger arrives in a drifting boat at a coastal village and falls for a woman. But in this unnamed place, which exists outside of time, ghosts of the past, narrow-minded villagers, and forces beyond the characters’ control draw the viewer into a dizzying labyrinth of rituals. 

Through the film's meticulously structured circular narrative, characters, times, and spaces echo and mirror each other, turning filmmaking into an act of dreaming. By placing a woman of will at the centre  of both attention and control, the film transcends the confines of the victimized female archetypes prevalent in 1970s Iranian cinema.

1974 Iran dir Bahram Beyzaie 146 mins, in Persian with English subtitles

Please note this film includes a brief scene with a depiction of animal cruelty.

Cinema 1

Location
Barbican Cinema 1 is located within the main Barbican building on Level -2. Head to Level G and walk towards the Lakeside Terrace where you’ll find stairs and lifts to take you down to the venue floor.   

Address
Barbican Centre
Silk Street, London
EC2Y 8DS

Public transport
The Barbican is widely accessible by bus, tube, train and by foot or bicycle. Plan your journey and find more route information in ‘Your Visit’ or book your car parking space in advance.