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The Ballad of Tara + Marjan + Introduction (15*)

Masterpieces of the Iranian New Wave

,Cinema 1
A woman holding two children

A seamless fusion of myth, symbolism, folklore and classical Persian literature, Bahram Beyzaie’s drama unfolds like a feminist re-telling of Akira Kurosawa’s samurai epics. 

The Ballad of Tara (Cherike-ye Tara) is Beyzaie’s final pre-revolutionary feature. As the film prepared for its premiere, the revolution intervened and the film was abruptly banned. Never screened in Iran, it can now be seen for the first time in London in a brand-new restoration. 

Tara, a strong-willed widow, encounters an ancient warrior spirit in the forest near her village. The ghostly figure pursues her relentlessly, trying to steal a sword she inherited from her father.  

Finding himself in love with Tara, the warrior becomes barred from returning to the realm of the dead.  

The screening is preceded by a short fragment from Shahla Riahi’s Marjan (1956), the only surviving material from the first Iranian feature film directed by a woman. 

Introduced by season curator Ehsan Khoshbakht. 

Tagged with: Cinema Masterpieces of the Iranian New Wave 2026

In Persian with English subtitles. UK restoration premiere.

Film information
  • Release year   1979
  • Country of origin   Iran
  • Director   Bahram Beyzaie
  • Runtime   1hr 42mins

Programme

The Ballad of Tara 

1979, Iran, dir Bahram Beyzaie, 1hr 42mins

The film’s completion coincided with the Iranian Revolution and the subsequent Islamist takeover, leading to its indefinite suppression. It was not its political allegory that troubled the authorities, so much as its vision of a woman both desired and in control of her fate — an image intolerable to the fanatics. 

The film is the first of Beyzaie’s  works to be fully centred on a woman: a figure of almost ethereal presence, portrayed with unforgettable poise portrayed by Susan Taslimi.  

Marjan 

1956, Iran, dir Shahla Riahi, 18 mins

The surviving fragments of the first Iranian feature directed and produced by a woman — Shahla Riahi, who also stars as the titular character, a nomadic girl who falls for the village schoolteacher. Their impossible love sets the stage for an inevitable tragedy. This is the first time these surviving fragments have been seen in the UK.

Explore the season

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.