It all begins with the desire of one Iranian woman to leave Iran for a better life. Her husband does not want to leave and instead wants to stay and care for his father with Alzheimer’s. The couple file for divorce and so begins a series of events that will tear their family further apart.
A Separation is most definitely a powerful film. The film takes it slow and allows us time to get to know the characters at the centre of the story, before pulling the rug around from beneath our feet with an event that strike a further divide between the couple at the centre of the film.
The film touches on many themes, such as men vs woman, making decisions based on religious beliefs, and of course the issue about children being in the middle of a divorce.
In the end, even though the couple initially separates for a rather trivial reason, the events of the film create such a divide that it leaves you to wonder what would have happened if he only said yes.
9/10