Offside (2006)

Offside

Jafar Panahi

Iran

Over this last summer, Iran's Olympic Women's Soccer Team was disqualified from a qualifying match for the 2012 London Olympics due the hijabs (Islamic headscarves) they wear while playing. Football's rules also prohibit religious statements in team uniforms. This is just one aspect of the problems women in Iran are having to deal with as displayed in the film, Offside. Only men are allowed in the Football Stadium in Tehran, and if women want to attend they must disguise themselves as men and try to sneak in at the risk of being arrested. This is precisely what a group of young girls decide to do and are all caught by the military that are policing the event. They spend the rest of the game in a holding tank outside the stadium arguing with a few soldiers their age. Jafar Panahi said the idea behind creating this film came because his 10-year old daughter wanted to go with him to a match at the stadium but was not allowed to attend. He tried to bring her but they were refused so she told him to go in and wait and then she snuck in and met him inside. The film won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at the Berlin Film Festival. Panahi is also known for his other critically acclaimed films, The Circle and Crimson Gold.

Offside is a study of gender roles in a country where men and women are separated and treated differently in every facet of society down to the way they can dress. While trying to sneak in, the young girls' apparel is looked at as odd and young men leer at them like they have never seen a female before but to an American, their clothes seem extremely conservative, even while in drag. All of them still cover their heads with scarves or hats. It is mentioned in the film that women are not allowed to attend film screenings either, and because this is my passion, I fully sympathize with these young girls wanting to pursue theirs. It is hard to imagine having to live with such divisive laws. It would be sad if I couldn't share my enthusiasm over something I love with my female friends and family, especially if I had a daughter. I would want all the same opportunities I was afforded to be shared by her as well. Film has been something of an education in my life, as it opens windows to other cultures and ways of life, and if that couldn't be experienced by just anyone, then it would be a shame. 

The production values are extremely low budget but not terrible looking which is surprising considering this movie was made for an estimated $2500. The biggest influences on Offside's style appear to be from Italian Neorealism. The director told the young girls to show up in a disguise of their own making which lends a personal style to each girls appearance. Their personalities are all given screen-time and with nothing to lose they give the young soldiers assigned to imprison them hell. A favorite moment is when one of the young women convinces a soldier to take her to the men's room inside the stadium to use the bathroom. Some men rush the lone soldier to get to the stalls, letting her escape into the crowd. The interaction between the soldiers and their young prisoners is an interesting dynamic because, while they have to uphold their duty and imprison the girls, it is apparent they might not believe the law is so vital anyway. Their attraction towards each other slips through the arguing and yelling and sometimes the soldiers even begin to loosen up around their counterparts. The leader of the young soldiers seems to have much respect towards women, and is very protective towards them when a man who knows one of the girls shows up angry and wants to strike her. He feels they should be treated as if they were his mother or sisters.

Offside is a criticism on Iran's policies while still believing in the country and it's people to do the right thing. There is a great patriotic message in the film even if the message is at odd with a law set by the government. The message is never hateful or condescending but hopeful that social change can occur. It could be called respectful, or maybe it is just fearful, dissent. In countries outside the U.S., soccer is a big deal and the love of the game is shared by so many people because the team represents them to the outside world. When one country's soccer team goes up against another's and wins, the citizens of the winning country surge with national pride. The film is showing that women feel this way as much as men do and want to share that sense of victory together and show pride in their national identity. While watching this film you will root for these young girls to overcome their obstacles from finding this joy which is currently a male-only privilege in Iran. Offside was banned in it's home-country but hopefully won't have to be one day.

And here's the sad postscript: Jafar Panahi, one of Iran's leading filmmakers, has recently been arrested after making this film for “assembly and colluding with the intention to commit crimes against the country’s national security and propaganda against the Islamic Republic.” He was then given a six-year jail sentence and a 20-year ban on filmmaking, leaving the country or giving interviews. During his house arrest, he made a new film with a small handheld camera about his fears and thoughts on his arrest. He then had the film smuggled out of the country on a flash-drive hidden inside a birthday cake to France, where it premiered at last year's Cannes Film Festival. I strongly urge anyone opposed to censorship to check Offside out and see this wonderful film that exposes a human aspect of inequality in Iran.

Rating: 8/10

-Ryan Sallows