EXCLUSIVE: Goodfellas has acquired world sales rights for Iranian director Ali Asgari’s satire Divine Comedy, following a filmmaker’s mission to dodge censorship, ahead of its world premiere in Venice’s Orizzonti sidebar.
The dark comedy, satirizing Iranian film censorship and bureaucratic absurdity, draws on Asgari’s own experiences in his native Iran, where he was slapped with a travel ban and had his personal belongings confiscated after showing his film Terrestrial Verses in Cannes Un Certain Regard in 2023.
The new feature follows 40-year-old filmmaker Bahram who has spent his entire career making films in Turkish-speaking Iranian Azerbaijan in northwestern Iran, none of which have ever been screened in the country.
When his latest work is once again denied permission by the Ministry of Culture, the censorship pushes him to the edge of defiance.
With his sharp-tongued, Vespa-riding producer Sadaf by his side, Bahram embarks on an underground mission to showcase his film to an Iranian audience, dodging government censors, absurd bureaucracy, and his own self-doubts.
The cast features Bahram Ark , Sadaf Asgari, Hossein Soleimani Mohammad Soori and Amirreza Ranjbaran, who have all worked on Asgari’s previous films.
“Divine Comedy is about a filmmaker whose work was never permitted to screen in his own country. For me, the greatest dream has always been to watch my films with audiences in Iranian cinemas, something that has never happened. With Goodfellas by my side, I’m confident this film will reach cinemas around the world, where I can share it with international audiences,” said Asgari.
The Orizzonti selection marks a return to the Venice sidebar for Asgari, who was on its jury last year alongside the likes of Debra Granik and Christos Nikou, having previously world premiered his first feature Disappearance there to acclaim in 2017.
Divine Comedy reunites Asgari with producer Milad Khosravi, who collaborated with the director on Terrestrial Verses and his subsequent documentary Higher than Acidic Clouds, which world premiered at IDFA.
“As his producer, and it’s truly an honor to have earned his trust once again. With the support of Goodfellas, we aim to bring this bold and fresh voice of Iranian cinema to audiences around the world, said Khosravi.
Coproducers are Kadraj Film (Turkey), Zoe Films (Italy), Salt for Sugar Films (France), and Studio Zentral (Germany). Goodfellas has acquired world sales rights except for Switzerland, Italy and Iran and Turkey.
Dissident Iranian writer, director and producer Asgari has devoted his filmmaking career to capturing individuals living on the margins of society in Iran as they attempt navigate its draconian rules and bureaucracy.
His short films More Than Two Hours (2013) and The Silence (2016) were nominated for the Cannes Palme d’Or, while his 2014 work The Baby played in Venice’s short film competition. Asgari’s second feature Until Tomorrow premiered at the 2022 Berlinale in Panorama.
After premiering at Cannes, third film Terrestrial Verses theatrically released in more than 10 territories across the world, drawing more than 100,000 spectators in France and 26,000 in Italy.
Further Venice titles on the Goodfellas slate include Taiwanese star Shu Qi’s directorial debut Girl, which will premiere in Competition.
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