AFF 2010 Review: Dog Sweat

Iranian cinema is not known for taking on complex social issues, particularly those that challenge the current regime's restrictive expectations. Somehow, Dog Sweat was filmed and has reached international audiences. Maryam Azadi's debut script features six young Iranians with intertwined lives struggling to reconcile their not-so-conservative longings with contemporary Tehran realities just prior to the 2009 elections.

Shot clandestinely throughout Tehran, Dog Sweat opens with Homan, Massoud, and Hooshang getting drunk while arguing the value of Johnnie Walker whiskey and contemplating some unusual tactics they'd employ if America invades, unequivocally establishing Dog Sweat as a very different film than the usual Iranian fare that makes it to American shores. Each character is at a crossroads, following one's heart's desires or cowing to societal pressures. The consequences aren't minor; these are criminal acts in Iran, and as each character makes their choice, there is no turning back.

Massoud is more concerned about where to get liquor, be it Johnny Walker Blue or home brewed "dog sweat." Hooshang enjoys spending all his free time with Homan, but considers the trappings of marriage as a means to finding freedom. Counterpoints to these young men are Katie, Katherine and Mahsa -- a self-proclaimed feminist hiding her affair, a shy girl who just wants to "have fun" with Kate's brother, and an aspiring singer who could be arrested for even attempting to fulfill her dream.

Shot cinema verite, Dog Sweat relies on subtext, with a great deal of silent contemplation. Instead of relying on dialogue to drive the story, the silences are often deafening, and devastating. Considering the context -- contemporary Tehran and all the restrictions people in that society face -- it's not just artistic, but realistic as people face deadly consequences for speaking out. The performances are powerful as it's clear the actors have so much they'd like to say, but cannot for fear of retribution.

A particularly creepy scene finds Katie waiting for a pre-arranged ride, and like several earlier scenes, the tension is created by the possible consequences of simply making an independent decision to act on one's own desires. As she stands by the side of the road, several cars stop to offer her rides. Each car has only men in them, and her silence only seems to encourage them, with sinister possibilities lurking in the polite offers.

Hossein Keshavarz's feature directorial debut had seasoned assistance, including producer Alan Oxman, who co-produced the indie narrative Diggers and one of the most enlightening documentary features involving the Middle East and cultural perceptions and expectations, Control Room; as well as Mollie Goldstein (Palindromes) as co-editor.

Dog Sweat doesn't side step politically incendiary content; this isn't a fable about poverty stricken boys running to win new running shoes (Children of Heaven) or a little girl trying to buy a goldfish (White Balloon). And unlike the feminist soccer longing of Offside, Dog Sweat doesn't couch the personal and social struggles of its protagonists with humor, or the bravado of snark seen in Persepolis, the closet to covering the reality of Iranian culture with any criticism to date. Dog Sweat is a subversive film; it rails against the current regime more strongly than any angry outburst could. There's only one outright rebellious declaration in the film, and even that is hidden in shadows and only made claer through subtitles.

While Dog Sweat doesn't condone any of the behaviors or decisions of the protagonists, Azadi's script puts the reality of an ultra-conservative society under a microscope and allows the audience to judge for themselves, which is more than the characters -- or actors -- can say.

Dog Sweat plays Austin Film Festival again on Wednesday at the Arbor. For more information on the film, visit the Dog Sweat website.