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Offside Details

2006 Certificate PG Certificate PG (TBC)
  • Rated:
  • 60
  • from 1360 members

For a soccer-mad young girl, a crucial world cup qualifying match for Iran's national football team at the Azadi stadium in Teheran is the game of her dreams. But with women banned from the country's football grounds, she and several other equally dedicated and rebellious girls have only one way of infiltrating the crowd... by .. Read more

Starring Sima Mobarak Shahi, Safar Samandar, Shayesteh Irani
Director Jafar Panahi
Genres Comedy, Sport, World Cinema

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Offside

For a soccer-mad young girl, a crucial world cup qualifying match for Iran's national football team at the Azadi stadium in Teheran is the game of her dreams. But with women banned from the country's football grounds, she and several other equally dedicated and rebellious girls have only one way of infiltrating the crowd... by disguising themselves as boys. But with sharp-eyed soldiers policing the event and obstacles such as the lack of women's bathrooms to overcome, the street-smart girls find they have to use their wits and every trick in the book to see the match... Shot during the official 2006 World Cup qualifier between Iran and Bahrian.

Starring Sima Mobarak Shahi, Safar Samandar, Shayesteh Irani
Director Jafar Panahi
Studio ARTIFICIAL EYE FILM COMPANY LTD.
Run time DVD: 1 hr 25 mins
Watch now: 1 hr 30 mins
Certificate DVD: Certificate PG, Watch Online: Certificate PG (TBC)
Genres Comedy, Sport, World Cinema
Language DVD: Farsi
Watch Online: English
Subtitles DVD: English
Released DVD: 18 Sep 2006
Watch now: 11 Sep 2009
Production year: 2006
Watch now Subscribe and watch this as part of an unlimited package.
Format DVD

  • Critics' reviews of Offside

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  • Having (inevitably) had The Circle and Crimson Gold banned in Iran, Jafar Panahi again displays disdain for... read more on Time Out

    • Geoff Andrew, 
    • Time Out
    • Posted 15 Aug 2009

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  • 18 out of 28 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars [Highly rated reviewer]

    Best film of 2006 so far

    And the best Iranian film I've seen (and I include in that a handful of Kiarostemi's!)

    This is a delightfully insightful story about a group of Iranian girls desperately trying to sneak in to see Iran-Bahrein, a match that could see Iran go through to the World Cup in Germany.

    What is quite remarkable (read the production notes on the DVD) is that since this is filmed during the actual game, the filmmakers were themselves breaking the 'law' and almost had their film confiscated. The girls had to be sneaked in, just as what happens in the film, so it becomes almost a pseudodocumentary. But what is even more remarkable about this charming film is that it is filmed on 35mm. You'd have thought that, considering the controversy and the possibility of the need to make a quick escape, the director would have chosen DV to shoot in. But no, this is celluloid and all the better and more impressive for it.

    Shot 'guerrilla-style' with real shots of people celebrating at the match, this is an outstanding feat in a very strict and complex country that is governed by non-criminal laws that are interpreted and misinterpreted differently by all and sundry. This is a breakthrough for Iranian cinema, and will be appreciated by football-fans and feminists alike. Panahi is surely the one to watch.

    None of the actresses were professionals, but were girls who do indeed make a habit of sneaking in to matches.

    Still (unfortunately) to be released in Iran (it probably never will be), this is a story that we should all watch. Ironically, earlier this year President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced that he was going to lift the ban and women would be allowed to go into special segregated areas. Shortly afterwards, one of the highest religious leaders said that this would never happen, and as a result from an attempt by the President to liberalise the country, the reaction by the religious leaders has actually made the situation for female football fans even worse, as it is now even more in the public eye.

    Essential viewing.

  • Most recent members' review of Offside

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  • 9 out of 14 people found this review helpful

    * * * This review contains spoilers * * *ShowHide

    Rated - 0 stars

    rubbish

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263
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89
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33

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      • For a soccer-mad young girl, a crucial world cup qualifying match for Iran's national football team at the Azadi stadium in Teheran is the game of her dreams. But with women banned from the country's ...