For a director banned from filmmaking for twenty years and sentenced to six years in prison, house arrest is tantamount to a death sentence for creativity. However, following the international success of The Circle (2000) and Crimson Gold (2003), the tenacity of director Jafar Panahi, who burns with creative passion, cannot be stopped. He and his fellow documentary filmmaker Mojtaba Mirtahmasb create a record of his confinement using a mobile phone and a camcorder. Despite the heavy circumstances surrounding its production, This Is Not a Film captivates the audience like the cozy warmth of a cup of tea with a hint of subtle sweetness. The René Magritte-style ironic title—implying that talking about an idea for a new film is not the same as making one—is a meta-response to a reality that suppresses creation. As you watch the ending credits filled with anonymous names, the film leaves you with the question, "What is a film?" and through it, the audience is invited to become his warm-hearted neighbor.
