Still Life (1974)
Cast
Non-professional actors
Credits
Written by: 
Sohrab Shahid Saless
Cinematography: Houshang Baharlou
Editing: Rouhollah Emami
Produced by: 
Parviz Sayyad
Plot
An old railway signalman at a remote crossing in Iran lives a life of silent routine, with his wife, going through the same chores every day until he is retired. The long, static shots and sparse dialogue emphasise the repetitiveness of work and the passing of time. Sohrab Shahid-Saless's 1974 film, which won the Silver Bear in Berlin, is a spare, austere masterpiece of the Iranian New Wave.
Sinekatalog’s take
Sohrab Shahid-Saless's austere film follows an old Iranian railway signalman and his wife through identical days at a remote crossing until his retirement. Long static shots and sparse dialogue make it a hypnotic, sorrowful study of routine.Sinekatalog’s own editorial review – not a user or critic quote.
Awards
- Berlin International Film Festival 1974: Best Director (Silver Bear for Best Director) — Sohrab Shahid-Saless
Ratings
IMDb: 7.6 / 10 (1,578 votes)
IMDb rating and vote count from the IMDb ratings dataset (October 2026). Scores change over time.
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