A Man of Integrity

A goldfish farmer in northern Iran is put in the crosshairs of everyone around him when he refuses to play by the same corrupt rules.

Having left the big city and his job as a university lecturer, Reza (Reza Akhlaghirad) now leads a quiet life as a goldfish farmer with his wife and child in a remote village in Northern Iran. However, there's corruption in the town. The Company (as it's known, although it is most likely government-affiliated) has taken control of nearly every aspect of regional life.

Unwilling to pay bribes, Reza finds his farm's water supply cut off and things take an increasingly coercive turn.

Curator's note

Mohammad Rasoulof's rousing thriller is another example of bold risk-taking by the director. The film was shot in secret, without permission from authorities.

In 2019, the director was sentenced to a year in prison and a further two-year ban on travelling abroad for his involvement in making the film. The film was considered a threat to national security.

A Man of Integrity premiered at the 70th Cannes Film Festival where it screened in the Un Certain Regard section, winning the Un Certain Regard prize.

– Reece Goodwin, Curator (Film & TV)