Underplayed Gems

The Glass Agency (1998)

The Glass Agency poster
Original title
آژانس شیشه‌ای
Directed by
Ebrahim Hatamikia
Genre
drama film, action film, romance film
Country
Iran
Runtime
1h 54m
Rating
6.7 of 10 from 30 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

An armed veteran takes hostages in a travel agency because he cannot get enough money for his injured comrade to travel abroad for medical treatment. The film shows the effects of the Iran-Iraq War on Iranian society and the fault lines between different groups.

tensemelancholicslow-burnemotionally chargedthought-provokinggrittysuspensefulsocially critical

What happens

The Glass Agency (Persian: آژانس شیشه‌ای) is a 1998 Iranian drama film written and directed by Ebrahim Hatamikia. It is one of Hatamikia's most successful works and one of the most popular and controversial films of post-revolutionary Iranian cinema. One of the many Hatamikia films of the Sacred Defense cinema genre, The Glass Agency focuses on the Iran–Iraq War's impact on various aspects of Iranian society. The Glass Agency is set in a travel agency where an armed veteran takes hostages after failing to raise enough money for his injured comrade to travel abroad for medical treatment. The film candidly reveals some of the major fault lines in Iranian society today. With its complex message of sympathy for the veterans and criticism of those who exploit their status for political purposes, the film has won praise from conservatives and reformists alike. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

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