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The Night It Rained + documentary shorts by Ebrahim Golestan + Introduction (PG*)

Masterpieces of the Iranian New Wave

,Cinema 1
A man by the river

Three classics from the golden age of the Iranian documentary movement. 

Films by Ebrahim Golestan explore the relationship between earth, people, and the cycle of life in a uniquely poetic manner.  

A Fire, part of his ‘industrial documentaries’ (made early in his career whilst working for oil companies) was Golestan’s first major international breakthrough. It depicts the extraordinary effort to extinguish a major oilfield fire, combining dramatic immediacy with a poetic sensibility.  

The Hills of Marlik appears to be about the excavation of an archaeological site, but the unearthed objects become a lens through which 3,000 years of Iranian history are seen. 

Shirdel’s The Night It Rained follows a newspaper report of a village boy who supposedly saves passengers on a train, an account that is quickly doubted and challenged. In just thirty minutes, Shirdel offers a masterful, incisive portrait of 1960s Iran. 

Tagged with: Cinema Masterpieces of the Iranian New Wave 2026

Introduced by season curator Ehsan Khoshbakht. 

Explore the season

Programme

A Fire (Yek Atash) 

A breathtaking depiction of the efforts to extinguish a fire at an oil well. The film was edited by poet and future filmmaker Forough Farrokhzad, whose lyricism blends seamlessly with Golestan’s symbolic approach. 

1961 Iran dir Ebrahim Golestan, 24 mins, in Persian with English subtitles 

The Hills of Marlik (Tappe-haye Marlik) 

A 3,000-year-old site in the north of Iran is simultaneously excavated by archaeologists and fertilized by farmers. The found objects come to life to tell their own story. 

1963 Iran dir Ebrahim Golestan, 15 mins, in Persian with English subtitles 

The Night It Rained (Onn Shab ke Baroon Omad) 

A newspaper story claims that a village boy heroically prevents a train disaster. As officials and journalists dispute the account, doubt spreads, leading to confusion over who saved whom.  

1967 Iran dir Kamran Shirdel, 38 mins, in Persian with English subtitles 

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.