About Elly

Director: Asghar Farhadi

Cast: Golshifteh Farahani, Shahab Hosseini, Taraneh Alidousti

Iran, 2009, 118', color, Persian with Turkish subtitles

 

After many years living in Germany, Ahmad is visiting Iran. His old university friends organise a three-day break on the Caspian Sea. The joyful Sepideh plans the reunion but, unbeknown to her colleagues, invites Elly, her daughter’s nursery school teacher. Ahmad, exiting an unhappy German marriage, would like to settle down with an Iranian woman. The friends, realising why Sepideh has invited Elly, pay her particular attention and laud her qualities. On the second day, an incident occurs which leads to Elly’s disappearance. The joyful atmosphere evaporates as the friends try to understand how and why she is no longer there. Panic sets in. The friends become judgmental and try to find fault in Elly’s character. The group’s opinions of Elly veer from those of the first day, until at last the truth is out.