The Cow and the Legacy of Dariush Mehrjui

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

A special screening of a restoration of Dariush Mehrjui’s landmark Iranian New Wave feature, followed by an excerpt of a documentary on Mehrjui by Mani Haghighi, and an in-depth discussion about Mehrjui’s career and influence between Haghighi and critic Godfrey Cheshire.

One of the defining works of the Iranian New Wave, THE COW (1969) is set in a small village in Iran, where a farmer named Hassan cherishes his cow more than anything else in the world. While he is away, the cow mysteriously dies, and the villagers protectively try to convince Hassan the cow has wandered off. Grief stricken, Hassan begins to believe he is his own beloved bovine. Neorealism, surrealism and mysticism meld in this groundbreaking, deeply moving Iranian New Wave film that won awards and acclaim at festivals around the world. Cannes Film Festival, Director’s Fortnight, 1971; FIPRESCI Prize, Venice Film Festival, 1971; OCIC Award –  Recommendation, Berlin International Film Festival, 1972.

Following the screening of THE COW and a brief intermission, the event continues at 9:00 pm with an excerpt from Mani Haghighi’s documentary on Mehrjui’s work, and an in-depth discussion about Mehrjui’s career and influence between Haghighi and critic Godfrey Cheshire.

Ticketholders for this event are welcome to attend both  the 7:00 pm screening of THE COW and the 9:00pm documentary and discussion, or may arrive only for the second half of the program.

Screening as part of the Iranian Film Festival New York 2024

See more and save! Get an Iranian Film Fest 2024 Pack (3-ticket pack: $42 for IFC Center members and $50 for non-members. 5-ticket pack: $60 for IFC Center members and $80 for non-members). Ticket packs are good for any shows in the festival.

 

  • Country Iran
  • Language Farsi with English Subtitles
  • Year 1969
  • Running Time 105 minutes
  • Format DCP
  • Director Darush Mehrjooi
  • Cast Ezzatolah Entezami, Mahin Shahabi, Ali Nassirian, Jamshid Mashayekhi, Firouz Behjat-Mohamadi
  • Accessibility Assistive Listening, T-Coil

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.