Nandita Paul

"The Recess" fits into a perfect short film, second-to-none. The director's effort to take the film near reality is very much commendable. Iranian cinema always plays a significant role in cinema on a global scale. "The Recess" is inspired by a true story which touched the whole world. It embraces womanhood. The tragic self-immolation of the Iranian Sahar Khodayari 'Blue Girl' was furious. Director Navid Nikkhah Azad develops the narrative in a subtle way. The setting of the story is masterfully depicted. The dialogues suggests the hard challenges and difficult choices that women face in everyday life in Iran. To cut the long story short, the film is masterfully-made and the actresses give superb performances.