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Cinema-ye Azad - Further Explorations + Q&A

Cinema Restored

,Cinema 3
A man's reflection on an instrument

Discover the inventive cinema of Behnam Jafari, whose short films explore alienation, fragmentation and social change in pre-revolutionary Iran.

Working primarily in 8mm and Super 8, often without a crew, Jafari developed a distinctive cinematic language that combines formal precision with acute observations of everyday life. He was one of the most important filmmakers of Cinema-ye Azad (Free Cinema), an underground independent film movement founded in 1969 by Basir Nasibi. 

Presented alongside Jafari's work is Nasib Nasibi's From Isfahan to Abarkooh (1970), a documentary that blends ethnographic observation with a poetic and deeply personal sensibility. Together, these films reveal the creative possibilities of independent filmmaking and offer a rare insight into a vital but little-known chapter in Iranian cinema history.

The programme forms part of an ongoing effort to preserve and revive the legacy of Cinema-ye Azad through the research and archival work of Hadi Alipanah.

Tagged with: Cinema Young Barbican Cinema Restored

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with archivist Hadi Alipanah.

Film information
  • Runtime   1hr 25mins

Curated by Arta Barzanji and Shaghayegh Raoufi, this programme celebrates the work of Cinema-ye Azad, the influential Iranian filmmaking movement founded by Basir Nasibi in the late 1960s.

Established in opposition to mainstream commercial cinema, Cinema-ye Azad fostered an independent filmmaking culture centred on experimentation, artistic freedom and low-gauge filmmaking, producing more than 1,000 films across Iran during the 1960s and 70s.

Programme

Let Us Live, dir Behnam Jafari, 1973, 9 min

Abandoned Heights, dir Behnam Jafari, 1972, 18 min

Tell the Watchman Not to Let Sleep Deceive Them, dir Behnam Jafari, 1973, 21 min

Scream (Vol. 2), dir Behnam Jafari, 1972, 13 min

From Isfahan to Abarkooh, dir Nasib Nasibi, 1970, 23 min

Cinema 3

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.