A BIT OF LIGHT World Cinema

In his new film, Ali Asgari (TERRESTRIAL VERSES, AFI FEST 2023; DIVINE COMEDY, AFI FEST 2025) maintains a precise and restrained tone from the very first scene, in which Arash (Misagh Zare, THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG, AFI FEST 2024), a disillusioned Iranian doctor, attempts to put all his personal and professional affairs in order, methodically preparing to end his life after being arrested and banned from practicing medicine. Amid violent repression of protests, heightened surveillance and the looming threat of foreign attacks, Arash’s resolve stems from a deep disappointment with his country’s present and a complete lack of faith in the future. However, as the journey unfolds, life puts obstacles in the way of his carefully laid-out plan to distribute his belongings and bid farewell to his family members, gradually making him realize that it is not so easy to simply leave everyone behind.
Zare’s performance as a committed yet traumatized professional is outstanding in its subtleties and vulnerabilities, especially as he begins to have growing doubts about his decision when confronted with his family and patients. Avoiding sentimentality by alternating moments of deadpan humor with references to harsh and oppressive realities, A BIT OF LIGHT offers a timely portrait of the contradictions of life in Tehran on the eve of the current war. Arash’s adamant resolve in the face of oppression and injustice under the Iranian regime is counterbalanced by scenes of community celebrations, family gatherings, solidarity among strangers, good food and beautiful music, underground theater as an act of self-expression and the simple act of sharing moments together despite hardship, all of which make this moving film feel like a desperate love letter to Iran. –Natalia Ames