Iranian New Wave director Bahram Beyzaie's visually ravishing masterwork—banned for decades after the Iranian revolution—is set around the northern coast of Iran, where a boat drifts onto the shore of a small village. Its unconscious passenger, Ayat, is revived by the villagers but has no memory. After proving himself as a member of the community, Ayat marries the widow, Rana. Ayat then grows increasingly paranoid about hallucinatory figures vowing to avenge his past misdeeds. 

“Upon its initial release [the film] stunned audiences with its divergence from typical Iranian cinema. It can now be asserted that it emerged from the future, displaying a visionary quality ahead of its time.”
– Senses of Cinema

Festival Tickets

• $10 general admission; $8 MFAH members, students with ID, seniors (65+)

Plan Your Visit

• This screening takes place in the Brown Auditorium Theater in the Law Building.
• Parking Information | Museum Hours | MFAH Campus Map

Restored by The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project and Cineteca di Bologna in collaboration with Bahram Beyzaie. Funding provided by the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation.