Ali Asgari's 'Divine Comedy' arrives in Italy amid Iran internet blackout

Iranian director Ali Asgari is unable to attend the Italian release of his film 'Divine Comedy' due to an internet and phone blackout imposed by the Iranian government during ongoing protests. The film, distributed by Teodora Film and co-produced by Zoe Films, hits Italian theaters on January 15. Asgari, a dissident filmmaker who shoots illegally in Iran, had previously been barred from traveling to Italy for 'Kafka a Teheran' after authorities suspended his passport. 'Divine Comedy' satirizes Iran's suffocating bureaucracy: a 40-year-old director navigates censorship on a pink Vespa with his producer. The film features real-life Iranian directors Bahram and Bahman Ark playing fictionalized versions of themselves, and actress Sadaf Asgari, who was banned from working after her Cannes appearance. Special screenings are scheduled in Bologna (January 13), Rome (January 14), Naples (January 15), and Florence (January 18), with producers and activist Shervin Haravi in attendance. Teodora Film and Zoe Films have expressed solidarity with Asgari and the Iranian people.