At the 2026 Venice Film Festival, Iranian director Ali Asgari introduced his latest drama, A Bit of Light. The film follows a doctor who, after being arrested and stripped of his medical license, contemplates suicide but ultimately discovers reasons to keep living during a final day spent with his family.
Artistic vision amid hardship
Asgari, whose previous works have screened at Venice, Cannes and Berlin, said the title reflects a belief that survival in contemporary Iran depends on small acts of endurance rather than grand hopes. “We don’t have the strength to light our path with a very large light,” he told reporters. “We need small things in our lives to keep going, and those small things are illuminated one by one.”
The director, who remains based in Iran, continues to shoot movies there despite a brief ban after his 2023 Cannes entry, Terrestrial Verses. A Bit of Light was filmed in Tehran and Turkey, with part of the cast living abroad.
Cast and crew describe the climate
Lead actor Misagh Zareh described the atmosphere of helplessness that pervades daily life. Speaking through a translator, he said, “The thing that weighs most heavily is the sense of helplessness, not being able to do anything, not being able to change anything.” He added that even a modest Instagram post opposing the death penalty led to a court summons the next day.
Screenwriter Shadmehr Rastin linked the film’s tone to recent events in Iran, including a violent crackdown on protesters and two wars involving Israeli and U.S. forces. “We are anaesthetised,” he said. “It’s as if we don’t feel anything any more. The pain is enormous, the despair too.”
Cinema as resistance
Both Asgari and Zareh emphasized cinema’s role as a defensive weapon against oppression. “In our country almost everything we do becomes political. Sometimes even having access to the internet becomes a political act,” Asgari explained. “Cinema is also a very powerful means of resistance, and a way of giving energy to audiences.” Zareh echoed, “For us, cinema is not just an art. It is a weapon. We use cinema as a weapon of defence.”
Despite the bleak backdrop, Asgari noted moments of ordinary life that persist. Walking through Tehran after recent upheavals, he observed people shopping, children playing, and daily routines continuing. “Life and tragedy are happening at the same time,” he said. “These are things that normally stand in contrast to each other. Now they exist side by side.”
Festival competition
A Bit of Light is one of 21 films competing for the Golden Lion award, which will be presented on Saturday. The film adds a poignant, human‑focused perspective to the festival’s international lineup, highlighting how art can illuminate resilience in societies facing repression.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
