I spent two hours in Iran on Saturday as I watched the newest critically acclaimed Iranian movie, “A Separation.”

Many of my friends recommended this movie to me and I’ve heard several reviews.

I have always found watching movies about other cultures refreshing and appealing; “A Separation” did not prove me wrong.

Director Asghar Farhadi brings us the thrilling domestic drama of the life of two Iranian couples who are forced to deal with their own issues as their paths cross in the midst of a tragedy.

“A Separation” is a deeply personal movie that reaches the bottom of our souls and emotions.

It reminds us of the human tragedies we share as people, despite our own differences, prejudices or cultures.

It is a movie we watch with anticipation, wonder, and contempt as we observe the struggles the characters go through as they try to unravel the truth while preserving their dignity and staying true to themselves and those who believe in them.

The movie starts with Nader (Peyman Moaadi) and Simin (Leila Hatami), a middle-class Iranian couple, arguing in front of a judge as he denies Simin’s request for divorce.

Simin leaves home to live with her parents and leaves Nader and their daughter, Termeh, to care for Nadar’s father, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s.

Nader hires Razieh (Sareh Bayat), a poor pious woman, to take care of his father when Nader is at work and Termeh at school.

After a sequence of unfortunate events, Nader finds himself facing jail time after he ends up head-to-head in court with Razieh and her hot-tempered husband, Hodjat.

“A Separation,” not only stirs our most profound emotions as we relate to its universal themes of integrity, familial relationships and loss, but it also introduces people whose lives are defined by cultural traditions and expectations of their society.

The script of the movie is Persian with English subtitles and has a runtime of 125 minutes.

It is rated PG-13 for adult thematic material.

It was released in early 2011 in Tehran and was released to American theatres late 2011.

The movie received ravishing acclaims around the world and was considered one of the top 10 movies of critics from around the world.

It was the first Iranian film to win the Golden Bear Award. “A Separation” is also the first Iranian film to receive a Golden Globe Award and the second nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Original Screenplay.

It was apparent that the movie was shot by a hand–held camera, which was a little distracting. However, it also enforced its proximity to every-day life.

Also, the characters of the movie spent a good portion of it verbally quarreling with each other, which might dismay some viewers.

All in all, if you have two hours to spare on a slow day and are up to some heart-squeezing drama, might you want to consider watching “A Seperation.”

HIBA ALMASRI

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