Manuscripts Don't Burn

Mohammad Rasoulof's brave political thriller transcends the screen with high stakes both on and off.

Kasra, an Iranian author, manages to secretly write down his memoirs despite being under strict monitoring by the security service. His stories recount his time in jail as a political prisoner, and several events connected to his life as an intellectual in Iran.

As he prepares to publish these writing and readies himself to leave the country, the security service apparatus uncovers Kasra's plans and resorts to anything to destroy his manuscripts.

Curator's note

Manuscripts Don't Burn was produced in secret, following Rasoulof's imprisonment and filmmaking ban. Alongside the director's 2011 film Goodbye, the film similarly traverses the rarely navigated terrain of the Iranian political thriller – a fraught genre for filmmakers seeking government approval. It marks another footstep away from the poetic, political allegory of his early films, into a more overt indictment of the regime.

Based on a true incident, Rasoulof's daring film unmistakably condemns censorship and government oppression.

Manuscripts Don't Burn premiered in the Un Certain Regard section of the 66th Cannes Film Festival where it was awarded the FIPRESCI Prize.

– Reece Goodwin, Curator (Film & TV)