Ali Asgari Debuts in Venice Competition with 'A Bit of Light'

Iranian director Ali Asgari has brought his first in-competition film to the Venice Film Festival, presenting "A Bit of Light" — a story about ordinary life continuing alongside tragedy in Iran.

The film arrives a year after Asgari's previous feature, "Divine Comedy," screened in the festival's Orizzonti section. While that work dealt with censorship in Iran following a filmmaking ban, his new film turns to what he describes as "the life beside the tragedy."

Inspired by the experience of a friend, the film follows a recently laid-off doctor in Tehran as he tells his family of his plans to commit suicide. Asgari said the theme came to him first, before the story.

He recalled watching people go about their daily routines — shopping, visiting cafes — even as deeply tragic events unfolded around them. The specific story, he said, grew out of a friend who was a doctor and witnessed young people dying and injured, an experience that left the friend without the will to live.

Asgari said he does not expect major consequences in Iran for making the film, describing it as not directly political but rather about the side effects of politics on people's lives. He added that it is natural for a filmmaker to speak about what is happening in his country, since stories come from real life.

The production proved difficult. Asgari said the team was waiting for a war whose timing and scale no one could predict, and that the sense of suspense hung over the project. Pre-production took place before the war, but some shooting days fell during it. Eventually, the filmmakers concluded it was no longer safe to continue and moved the main cast and crew to Turkey to shoot the interior scenes.

Asgari said the production process itself could have made a very good documentary.

Speaking about the film's title, he said "A Bit of Light" reflects his hope of casting a small light on the audience's face for a possibly better future. If even one viewer goes home and touches a mother's or father's hand, he said, that is what he is looking for — small things.

He also spoke of his personal connection to Italy, where he studied and learned cinema, and said that while a Venice competition slot has long been one of his greatest desires, the achievement comes at a strange and sad moment for him and for Iran. That, he said, reduces some of the joy — but as the film is about life continuing, the team tries to continue as well.