Tales (Persian: قصهها Ghesse-ha), directed by the renowned Iranian filmmaker Rakhshan Bani-E'temad, is a poignant drama composed of seven interconnected stories that delve into the struggles and complexities of Iranian working-class society. The film, which marked Banietemad's return to feature filmmaking after an eight-year hiatus, is a masterful mosaic of narratives reflecting the social and personal crises facing modern Iran.
Beginning with what appears to be a documentary—an amateur street recording accompanied by a voiceover—the film subverts expectations by transitioning into fiction, revealing a director conversing with a talkative taxi driver. This interplay between realism and storytelling sets the tone for the film's structure, where fragmented yet interconnected tales weave a vivid tapestry of contemporary Iran.
Through its modern narrative form, Tales explores pressing societal issues such as drug addiction, particularly among women, domestic violence, bureaucratic hurdles, and the suppression of union struggles. These slice-of-life stories are brought to life through a recurring ensemble of characters, highlighting both the personal and collective challenges of a society in turmoil.
The film was selected to compete for the Golden Lion at the 71st Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Best Screenplay award. It was also showcased in the Contemporary World Cinema section of the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival, cementing its place as a significant work in global cinema.
"Tales" is the story of the world's men and women's lives that always have to fight for getting their rights: filmmakers, workers, intellectuals, state employees, social workers, etc.
Will the light of love and hope lighten their lives?
After three decades of filmmaking, the characters from my documentaries and feature films remain vivid and alive to me—I continue to live with them. Tales revisits these characters, placing them in the context of today's circumstances. While Tales stands as a completely independent work, for me and those familiar with my previous films, it serves as a reflection on the fates of these individuals and the social conditions that have shaped their lives over the past three decades.