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Persian Lessons Photos

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Movie Info

A young Jewish man pretends to be Iranian to avoid being executed in a concentration camp.

Genre:

drama, history
Original Language:

German
Director:

Vadim Perelman
Writer:

Ilja Zofin
Runtime:

2h 7m
Production Co:

Hype Film, Belarusfilm, One Two Films

Cast & Crew

Serge Barbagallo
France KAPO

Peter Beck
Nazi Doctor

Leonie Benesch
Elsa

Alexander Beyer
Camp Commandant

Felix Von Bredow
SS-Untersturmführer Siemens

Marcus Calvin
American Investigator

Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for Persian Lessons

All Critics (14) | Top Critics (6) | Fresh (10) | Rotten (4)

Well made and well acted but Ilja Zofin's script is filled with well-trodden World War II tropes, and the longer this improbable parable goes on, the less convincingly it holds up.

March 3, 2021 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Hanna Flint
Empire Magazine
It does feel like a packaged story, like a melodrama...it is played very well, with those two performances actually working surprisingly well...

January 29, 2021 | Full Review…

Mark Kermode
Kermode & Mayo's Film Review
The ending's a tear-jerker, but it's too little too late.

January 26, 2021 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…

Kevin Maher
Times (UK)
This fable about language and memory is a troublingly easy watch - though it floored me in the devastating final moments, unexpectedly acquiring great depth and seriousness of purpose.

January 19, 2021 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Cath Clarke
Guardian
Impressive ending and acting, though it has a wobbly handle on its characters.

March 5, 2020 | Full Review…

Boyd van Hoeij
Hollywood Reporter
The movie feels fraudulent, almost farcical at times, presenting an untenable premise and using it to rehash generic stereotypes about Germans, Jews and an event that claimed the lives of so many.

February 23, 2020 | Full Review…

Peter Debruge
Variety
With Biscayart and Eidinger giving their strongest performances yet, Persian Lessons manages to end on a note that's both gripping and heartfelt, making it one of the first hidden gems of the year.

March 29, 2021 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Andrew Murray
The Upcoming
Director Vadim Perelman creates a skilfully unfussy period style, avoiding genre cliches to focus on characters who are finely brought to life by an excellent cast.

January 29, 2021 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
Persian Lessons isn't as powerful or original as recent Holocaust films, particularly Son of Saul and The Painted Bird.

January 26, 2021 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…

Saskia Baron
The Arts Desk
Persian Lessons is easily the pick: it's a hugely compelling, highly original Holocaust drama, billed as Belarusian though it unfolds mostly in German, and said to have been inspired by true events.

January 23, 2021 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

Brian Viner
Daily Mail (UK)
While some aspects of the story stretch credulity, two brilliant lead performances keep us hooked.

January 21, 2021 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

Andy Lea
Daily Star (UK)
The film flirts with the disaster... but Nahuel Pérez as the peculiar Professor Vaughan...bears out. [Full review in Spanish]

January 19, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/5 | Full Review…

Rubén Romero Santos
Cinemanía (Spain)