This book reveals the history of Iran through its cinema as Sadr uses the films themselves to tell the story of shifting political, economic and social situations. The book covers the broad spectrum of Iran's cinema, offering vivid descriptions of key films and recurring themes and tropes, such as the preponderance of images of childhood, and what these reveal about Iranian society. It includes films throughout the 20th century with special emphasis on recent films influenced by September 11, from Mohsen Makhmalbaf's astonishing Kandahar to Saddiq Barmak's angry work Osama .