We invite you to our improvised cinema to watch classics and hidden gems from the Mediterranean.

Cinema is an effective medium for language learning, offering rich insights into the culture of a country or region. That’s why our school hosts an annual Cineforum, a series of film screenings designed for all those who love and want to discover more about Mediterranean languages and cultures.

Every month, we create a cozy cinema and watch a film in one of the Taalhuis languages around a theme. The theme of this season is “woman”, and we will watch women’s stories from around the Mediterranean basin and the Netherlands.  Each film is in its original language with English subtitles, and there is a brief introduction to help you enjoy the film even more.

We close the evening with a borrel in our café, where you can discuss the film with other film and language lovers (or just enjoy a drink).

This month, it’s Iran’s turn, and we’ll watch Inversion by Behnam Behzadi (2016).

Saturday, 27 September 2025
19:00-22:00
Gerard Doustraat 220
Ticket: €17,5 (The ticket price includes one free drink.)

Program
19:00 – Introduction
19:15 – Film
21:00 – Drinks

About the film
Original title: وارونگی
Director: Behnam Behzadi
Year: 2016
Duration: 1h 24m
Language: Farsi
Subtitles: English

Niloofar lives alone with her mother in Tehran, but as air pollution grips the Iranian capital, her family decides to move her to the countryside for the matriarch’s well-being, without her consent. Used to submitting to the demands of others, this time she decides to stand up to them.

The historical and social background of the film refers to the orders issued by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who, in response to the international sanctions imposed on Iran’s nuclear program in the 2010s, ordered refineries to produce low-quality gasoline, in defiance of environmental standards. These measures led to the deadly smog that hit the country a few years later.

Director Behnam Behzadi uses the metaphor of unbreathable air to paint the portrait of a woman in struggle, in the midst of conquering her own space of freedom.