Our screening on Saturday 13 April, will be followed by a q&a with director Milad Alami.

In the aftermath of a devastating rumor, Iman and his family have been forced to flee Iran. As refugees, they end up in a run-down hotel in northern Sweden. Despite feeling powerless, Iman tries to maintain his role as the family patriarch. To increase their chances of asylum, he breaks a promise to his wife and joins the local wrestling club. As the rumors start to resurface, Iman's fear and desperation begin to take a hold.

The Garden Cinema View:

Opponent is a complex and suspenseful drama about ethnic and personal identities. This subject is tackled with remarkable authenticity and poise by the film's director, Milad Alami, who himself is a second-generation Iranian immigrant.

Alami's multifaceted exploration depicts a system which treats people as problems to be solved, and forces families to perpetually move from one accommodation to another, ‘lucky’ to avoid deportation. Opponent also explores repressed sexual identities. As the narrative unfolds, the urgent reason why Iman, played by Payman Maadi (A Separation), had to flee Iran with his family is revealed.

Maadi delivers an outstanding performance as a man tormented by the conflict between his sense of duty and his desires, alienated from himself long before becoming an outcast in Sweden, and within his own family. As Iman becomes increasingly entrenched in self-imposed silence, Opponent becomes a stressful and fascinating watch.

Cast:
Payman Maadi, Marall Nasiri, Björn Elgerd