My Worst Enemy (2023)

[bunniefuu]

This film was made before

the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement

and the Islamic Republic's violent repression

on the Iranian people.

These are my two old passports.

For almost 12 years,

6/1972TE

I traveled regularly to Iran.

10/10/20

And I met and filmed

the defenders of the regime:

the Bassidji militiamen and the mullahs.

This was my last day of filming in Iran.

September 20th 2012.

Two days later, the authorities

confiscated my passport because of the film.

After multiple summons and hours of questioning,

they gave it back.

The intelligence agents made it clear...

never come back to Iran.

After 8 years away from my country,

I've come up with a way to go back.

I search for an Iranian refugee here in France,

who is willing

to interrogate me in front of a camera,

just like an agent of the Iranian regime.

An interrogation which is completely

out of my control, while I make the movie

lasting several hours,

or even days.

I have no clue.

And then...

I'd like to return to Iran

with this film about my interrogation.

So the man who arrests

and interrogates me,

...sees this film.

A film that is as much

a reflection of him as it is of me.

I don't know...

Maybe it's just a dream or a utopia.

But I'm convinced that if I go to prison,

I can, with my attitude,

and especially with my film,

push the interrogator away

from his position of power.

I am basically trying

to make the interrogator doubt himself.

An interrogator who is dangerous

and who scares me.

That is my ideal scenario.

MY WORST ENEMY

A film by Mehran Tamadon

You go in wearing a blindfold.

It's important not to know where you are.

In the interrogation room,

that's the scary thing, not knowing where you are.

When they take you in, you're at w*r.

They seek to defeat you.

They took you from the streets?

Yes. Outside the Faculty of Foreign Languages

at Allameh University.

That's where they took me.

How?

- At gunpoint.

How did it happen?

- First, a man called out:

"Mojtaba!"

He said my name

I said, "Yes?"

He pretended to be heading for somewhere else.

I laughed, turned around,

and suddenly, he grabbed my wrist.

Then several people dragged me away.

I was shouting because

I had no clue who they were.

If they had shown me a warrant,

I'd have followed them, as per the law.

They wore civilian clothes,

so I mistook them for religious militiamen.

As I had given several interviews,

I figured they were annoyed

and wanted revenge.

In any case, it was horrific.

Seeing me being grabbed,

my friends came over to help.

Then a guy pulled a Colt p*stol on them.

My friends just stood there, frozen.

It was such an unreal situation !

Like some kind of painting.

They were all standing still, perplexed.

That moment is etched into my mind.

The first 12 days,

the door did not open once.

There was no night or day.

Time stopped flowing.

No matter

how much you banged on the door...

Still, total silence.

All you could hear were guards shouting

to keep each other awake.

How so?

From both sides.

Lasting all night.

It was non-stop.

You have no clue what's going to happen!

One day goes by, then a second, a third...

Four, five, six...

On the sixth day, you...

You can no longer sleep.

The place is awful.

The toilets is in the cell.

There's no way to spend time.

Time stops flowing, Mr. Tamadon.

One hour lasts one whole day...

You have nothing to do.

You wait and wait...

There, only two minutes have passed.

From start, they use violence.

They make it clear they're in charge

and you're nothing.

To crush you.

I've seen people undergo t*rture

during several years.

Just imagine

being cuffed to a radiator

for a whole year.

In a corridor where people

are always walking by,

imagine someone cuffing you

to a radiator for one year.

Did you see this?

Yes, I saw this.

In the hallway,

in the interrogation wing.

Imagine a hallway like this one here

But it's very long,

with offices on each side.

The detainees would wait

for the interrogator to arrive.

You'd sit and wait.

And some were still there, poor them.

Their nickname was:

"Hallway sleepers".

- Hallway sleepers?

Yes.99

Hallway sleepers would get tortured

and cuffed in the hallway

between two rounds of t*rture.

Their feet bound, covered with blood.

It was terrifying.

You can't inflict this

upon another human being!

But here...

you're the one interrogating me.

That's my story.

Could this room be used for interrogations?

- Yes, it's small and stuffy.

They bring you in here.

You're blindfolded, they yell, "Sit!"

You sit down...

This pen and paper alone,

they spell out Final Judgement!

They say they'll reveal your secrets.

In Arabic, it's written, "Alnejatef e sedgh".

That means, "Honesty leads to salvation".

It's written on the paper.

you want to be saved, tell the truth.

If

- But in reality, they want the opposite.

You need to lie.

In this place, you're forced to say

everything they want to hear, in order...

to be saved.

To be saved,

you must testify against yourself and others.

Truth or lie.

The opposite of honesty saves you.

But it still says, "Honesty leads to salvation".

They write out a script.

For example, a script about "infiltration".

They need actors.

On one occasion,

they use Faraj Sarkohi.

Another time, Religious Nationalists.

Or the Left.

It's all scripted.

And your confessions

must confirm their script.

In other words, the interrogator is here,

inside of our head.

Exactly.

No doubt.

I'd even say, that this violence,

we're able to inflict it on each other.

That's exactly what we do!

Constantly...

I thus ask that for this film,

we inflict this violence on each other.

I thus ask you :

would you be able

to inflict this form of violence on me,

in whatever form you deem acceptable?

The violence of the interrogator.

I don't have the temperament.

- No?

I don't have the temperament

to question you as an interrogator.

It's not in my nature.

Your nature?

- It's not in my nature.

I don't have the mindset to...

...to sit in the interrogator's chair

and question the person in front of me.

I don't have that mentality.

I'm afraid I'd actually be quite good

at playing this horrific role.

These guys are not natural monsters.

The situation makes them like that.

Anyone in that situation

can turn into one.

That's the scary thing.

Perhaps not just anyone, right?

As I see it, the context weights more

than one's character.

A person's character plays first,

to outright reject the situation.

To avoid becoming such a monster,

you must refuse the situation.

If you accept it, you become one.

Even now, I'm wondering

why I'm taking on this role today?

That's already a question for me.

Something must be wrong with me.

How long will it be

before you start missing your family?

I want to know why I'm here.

No, that's not the question I asked you.

What grade is your kid in?

6th and 5th grade.

Imagine them entering high school,

and you're still in here.

I have to understand why.

There is no reason.

Because you didn't help yourself.

You decided to harm your kids.

How about you stay for a while?

I come back in three months

to see if you've found an answer.

So we can help you.

Or we see that you still want to stay.

You know, we have enough evidence

to really fill up your file.

You've got nothing on me.

- We'll make things up.

Fake evidence?

We'll see, either we keep you without trial,

or we ask a judge to sentence you.

We're in no rush.

Just like you earn your salary from making films.

I clock in here every day.

Time passes...

And I earn the same.

Do you want to help yourself?

Or shall I come back in three months?

I want to help myself.

Good.

Write.

Who finances your films?

Who else?

What does Hamze Ghalebi do?

He studies pharmacy.

-Where?

Outside of the city

What does that mean?

Give me the name.

Reims.

Which university?

-I don't know.

Good.

That's not bad

For a first day, it's not bad.

But Hamze Ghalebi has the name of

his university on his Linkedin.

You just lied to us.

I must've made a mistake.

You're making up excuses,

and you forgot that you had to stay here.

I leave you the papers.

You're going back to your cell.

I'll be back in a few weeks.

And we discuss it again.

Is that good?

Or do you want to complete it now?

That was one type of interrogation.

We had discussed several scenarios.

In your case,

I think that one would be best.

The one we just acted out?

- Yes.

Their goal is to tease out

any and all kind of information.

Asking questions about other people,

their addresses, phone numbers, workplaces.

Who knows who?

After a few months, they'll say,

"Get out and never come back."

What else?

But for that to work,

he has to really scare you.

He could also frighten you with stories

about the case being built against you.

They'll say,

"This and that will happen to you..."

"You'll get 11 years for this."

You might be accused of spying...

it was hard for me, bringing that up.

Why?

With investment companies,

they also accuse you of spying.

Why was it hard to bring up?

Because I didn't want to go too deep

into the role of a torturer.

Just from saying that?

Talking about spying

would be taking the role too far?

For example, about your kids,

I could have said more... But forget it.

It feels so weird...

I'd rather not put myself in that situation.

But they could keep on probing.

What could they say about my child?

For example, "Did you know your wife

is in Iran and looking for you?"

"Do you want us to bring her in?

Do you want to see her again?"

They'd say things like that?

- Yes.

One night, one of them came in,

acting really kind and friendly...

He asked, "Tell me..."

"How big is your family?"

As if he wanted to check

how bad losing one child would be for my family.

"How many siblings do you have?"

"If something happens to you...?

Are you an only child?"

Imagine questions like that.

You know you're risking 15 years in prison?

And you're accused of spying?

You know you acted against

Iranian National Security?

What have you done

for your country, Tamadon?

Apart from blackening its name?

Why did you even come back?

Why come back?

- I...

Who are you working with in Tehran?

I came back to show you the film.

To show me the film?

You pathetic guy!

I've already seen your film.

Idiot! Coming all the way here

to show me the film?

Your entire life is under our control!

We know all your relations.

I can tell you on what day

you met with this or that person!

I even know what was discussed.

I have the recordings tapes, photos.

And you make the trip from France

to show me this film?

You should have gone to Hell!

You should've stayed away.

Moron.

You're here because you're an idiot.

You got caught for nothing.

You prostituted yourself for a few euros!

You sold out your country!

What are these lies you've made up?

What's all this sh*t you've written to me?

Listen!

In February 2020...

...you were at an important meeting

with the French secret services.

You will tell me about that meeting.

Every single detail.

Got it?

Do you think we're asses?

Stand up.

Stand up and face the wall.

Don't turn around.

I'll keep you standing for 24 hours,

then you'll talk!

Do you believe

the interrogator has a conscience?

Of course.

Everyone has a conscience.

But first he has a job to do.

And he sees you as the enemy.

The interrogator justifies his own acts.

Same as under the Shah.

Do you think the interrogator

who beat you had a conscience?

Wha

What do you mean?

Everyone has a conscience.

Everyone has a conscience...

- But they're defending something.

They're defending something

and you're standing in their way.

This "conscience" question is abstract.

I don't understand it.

He probably has children.

He'd surely be upset if they were attacked.

All in all,

he is a perfectly ordinary man.

All right,

but when he's interrogating you

In that moment...

His conscience...

- Conscience, what's that about?

He thinks you're deviant, and that..

he has to set you right,

because you're a lost soul.

He might also think the regime is rotten,

but that you're no better.

Sometimes, he's just doing his job,

in which case, he abandons his conscience.

If it's just a job, he has no conscience.

-As I see it, yes.

As long as he defends his beliefs...

- You see it in the way he combats you.

The result might be the same,

but it's not the same way of fighting.

I think power structures

slowly lose their conscience.

They just "do their jobs."

-As you see it

nowadays, interrogators...?

-Their conscience slowly falters.

These interrogators are not the same.

Nowadays, interrogators ask about sex.

Often, they stop the interrogation

and they ask sexual questions.

They want distraction.

They want pleasure.

Something they watch porn.

Sometimes they talk about it.

In the 80's it was different.

They were cruel,

but they wouldn't ask questions on that.

So with someone like that...

how do we re-engage his conscience?

Is it possible?

- I don't know.

I don't know... Perhaps...

Maybe we need training.

No one knows how to.

I couldn't re-engage their conscience.

My friend Hoda wasn't able to either!

It's a job. It's a system.

I'd be surprised if...

I don't know.

I don't have an answer.

Perhaps someone else would know.

You left Iran when you were 12?

Alone?

No, with my sister and my mother.

Where do they live?

My mother is in France.

My sister is in the United States.

Your father?

- He died.

Natural death or k*lled?

- Natural death.

From a heart attack.

I thought he was a communist.

- Yes, but he didn't die in prison.

He got out in 1966

and died in 1972.

He died seven years before the Revolution.

We had all supported the Revolution.

We were happy the Revolution came.

You were happy before it!

We're still happy there was a revolution.

So ?

You're happy we had the Islamic Revolution?

Not that it became Islamic.

But the fact there was a revolution...

Your mother went directly to France?

My mother... Yes.

From the very start?

All these years, you've lived in France?

My...

- Are you lying?

What?

- Are you lying? Is this all true?

This is all true.

Good.

Why?

No, we came to France in 1984.

Be precise. "Precise".

- Yes.

I lived in France from age 12 to 28.

Even worse...

- What?

How many years? 16 years?

Yes, 16 years.

Then Iran for 4 years...

Do you have a French passport?

Right now?

I've got two.

An Iranian and a French one.

Which passport do you use

when you travel in secret?

I don't travel in secret.

You mean, outside of Iran?

If a country doesn't issue visas to Iranians,

then I use my French passport.

You can't go anywhere with an Iranian passport.

- You only have a French passport?

Or several?

No, just one.

Why?

We'll see.

Let's start from the top.

After 16 years, you left for Iran.

Why did you come back?

If you came back to live here,

why only stay four years?

Where did you work?

Suddenly, you come back to Iran.

You're an architect,

Then suddenly,

you become a film director.

And you head straight to the cemetery.

To film the mothers of martyrs.

What prompted this evolution?

"Evolution in what sense?

You were an architect, right?

That's why you came back, right?

- Actually, I always felt...

I felt that by practising architecture

I wasn't able to really grapple

with philosophical ideas and questions.

That's why I quit architecture

and started making films.

And?

Who was behind this change?

You just suddenly decided to...

serve philosophical bullshit with your films.

Who was behind this change?

Nobody. I went to the cemetery and...

Who is Fereshteh Homayouni?

Who is she and what was the nature

of your relationship?

In detail.

Fereshteh Homayouni is a friend who...

Why are you laughing?

Go on.

She's a friend who makes films.

What was the nature of your relationship?

How is she involved in your films?

She helped me with my first film.

The one in the cemetery.

She just helped you?

Yes, she helped me.

- How did you meet her?

At a party.

A party where?

In Iran?

- Yes.

A party in whose home?

- She had just come back from Lisbon.

She lived in Lisbon?

She also suddenly decided

to come back to Iran.

You both met in Iran.

At whose home?

I forget.

Don't bullshit me.

Who else was there?

So?

How long had you been in Iran,

at the time you met Fereshteh?

Less than a year.

And?

Where were you living?

At my mother's.

- Where was that?

Jordan.

And where did Fereshteh live?

- Jordan.

And you both met at someone else's home?

And?

You're recalling things now.

Who is "Bald Mohsen"?

Mohsen?

A friend.

What links all these people together?

I have a feeling

you're hiding some information.

You're heading that way.

Have you decided

to give me false information?

You're playing smart.

You know, I already know most of the answers

to what I'm asking.

Let's resume.

Why did you return to Iran?

Why did I return to Iran?

After 16 years of living in France.

After you, your sister, your mother,

felt let down by the Revolution.

Why return to Iran?

The Islamic Republic isn't all there is.

I love Iran.

And.

You love Iran,

I you were in a real hurry to meet

but

the mothers of martyrs,

the Bassidji, and the mullahs.

You love Iran?

- Yes.

Is that Iran, to you?

Who ordered this mission?

Why would you, after 16 years,

return to Iran to make a film

on the mothers of martyrs, then the Bassidji,

then open a dialogue with four mullahs?

No, wait...

I like understanding people

who think differently from me.

Whether they're Bassidji or mullahs.

I also think that I'm locked in my own ideas.

Knowing how other people think

lets me understand how locked in I am.

And have you understood?

After making crappy films for 10 years,

have you understood in what you're locked?

I knew in what I was locked...

I also live with an ideology...

You knew what you were locking in,

and that's what you wanted to know?

It gives you a wider knowledge of...

What a great philosopher!

From the top...

You lived in France for 16 years.

As soon as you come back,

your friend arrives from Lisbon.

Your other friend is also there.

You all are making a film together.

A while later,

Ltitia comes along.

Wasn't Fereshteh your girlfriend?

You f*cked her, right?

Why leave Fereshteh

and go with Ltitia?

My relationship with Fereshteh

didn't last very long.

The relationship...

Your mission ended.

What?

Your mission ended

Or didn't she make you come?

You f*cked, right?

You didn't just drink tea.

What was it like?

- What was she like?

What was it like?

- What?

The f*ck.

What was it like?

We didn't have sex...

-You didn't have sex?

No sex with your girlfriend?

Tell me what it was like.

What?

- What was your first time like?

What?

- How did you f*ck?

Tell me about the foreplay.

Show me.

What our sexual relationship was like?

- Yes.

How was it sleeping together?

Your Persian isn't very good.

What do you mean how we slept?

First the foreplay.

In bed.

- Good, and what did you start with?

Show me.

Show what?

How did you do it?

How did you start?

Where did you put your hands?

What did you start with?

Did you kiss first?

Did you finger her?

Stand up.

Step back.

Take off your jacket.

What?

-Take off your jacket.

Take off your sweater

and whatever's underneath.

Step back.

I said take it off.

Take off your trousers.

Hurry up.

So!

I see clearly through you.

And not only me.

For whom do you collect

this information?

Who is helping you obtain this information?

Who...

- I lost focus.

Go ahead and focus.

I don't have information on anyone.

I don't give it to anyone.

If there's one single person

who knows what the Bassidji

and the mullahs are doing, it's you.

You don't have any information?

The one person moving freely

between France and Iran is you.

How come?

Do you think it's normal?

Don't laugh.

What an actor you are!

Don't play dumb.

How are you able to move freely

between here and Iran?

You say they took your passport in Iran.

Is that even true?

You say you were interrogated.

Maybe you just drank tea with them.

Admit it.

Let's go back.

When you came back to Iran,

and you met Fereshteh,

what happened?

Why did you decide to come back?

Why did you start making films?

Why the mothers of martyrs?

Why do this after you left Iran?

You should've brought Ltitia to Iran,

if you love Iran

and you believe dialogue is possible.

Dialogue is achieved through

the power of the camera.

Through the power of the film, actually.

Perfect.

The camera's rolling.

You say it's through the power of the camera.

Go ahead, start the dialogue.

Take off your underpants.

You can't have a dialogue

without underpants.

Our situations need to be equal.

I give you five minutes.

If you say nothing,

we'll have a dialogue my way.

Go ahead

Face the camera.

Could you repeat the question?

How are you able to move freely

between France and Iran

and meet all these people?

You make up they took your passport,

yet you're safe and sound in front of me.

You make films, attend festivals,

then you simply go back to Iran.

You don't worry about your wife and kids...

Tell me who Fereshteh is.

I swear, I...

- Who do you give the information to?

Take off your tank top.

Do it before it gets worse.

Go on.

Quickly.

I said take off your underpants.

- No.

Well.

Then tell me about Fereshteh.

Tell me how you would make love to her.

Why didn't you two hit it together?

It had nothing to do with our relationship.

- What was it about?

It looks like your p*nis doesn't work right.

What?

I just want to see it,

to understand the problem.

Take them off.

Laughing, are you?

You think I'm joking?

Do I have to do it myself?

What are you doing?

Move.

There.

Did I tell you to sit down?

How is it you have both leftists

and mullahs as friends?

It must be my personality.

What personality is that?

You're forgetful, have nothing to say...

You can't even discuss properly.

Let alone f*ck.

Come here.

Stand here.

I'll cut the water once you take them off.

I can take them off myself,

but I would rather you did it.

Will you talk or not?

Tell me what you were doing in Iran.

Who were you informing?

I'm not playing around with you.

I'm not here to discuss

or f*ck around with you.

I'm waiting.

Get up, take off your underwear.

Go on.

Get up.

Take off your underwear.

I can't.

Your kids' school closes in 30 minutes.

It's 3.30 PM.

Let's go for a walk.

They'll see how strong Daddy is.

How he won't give any information.

I don't have information.

What information?

How he'd sooner give his family grief

than give me any of his information.

You seem to endure everything.

You want me to go outside naked?

-You think so?

Get up.

She wants to take me past my kids' school.

Get up.

You really want to take me outside?

We're going to the school.

Hurry up.

Go on.

School isn't even finished yet!

Let's go to the cemetery then.

Maybe there you'll talk.

And you won't embarrass your children.

- School doors aren't open yet.

Who protects you?

Who are you selling information to?

To people here?

Or to Iranians?

What were the names of the Bassidji...

who you spent time with?

Why did they agree

to have a friendly chat with you?

That was big, right?

As you say!

Didn't they ask you about your friends?

Or the French people you associate with?

They didn't ask you anything?

- No.

How did it come about,

this unique relationship with the Bassidji?

You live in France,

but your dream is to weave ties with the Bassidji!

Honestly... That's a good question.

Am I supposed to answer?

- Go ahead.

If you have the answer, go ahead.

I'm trying to understand why some people

are comfortable with repressing others.

Could you k*ll someone?

Me?

- Could you round up protesters?

Beat them? Gas them?

- No.

You couldn't.

-No.

So how could you hang out with them,

eat with them, travel with them?

Live 48 hours under the same roof as them...

How could you do that?

How could you open a dialogue

with a k*ller holding all the power?

Those people...

How many films does it take to understand?

Those people never k*lled anyone.

The ones I filmed didn't k*ll anyone.

But they're capable of it.

If required, they'd do it, right?

Aren't they devoted to the cause?

Maybe they would k*ll me too, then.

You doubt that? "Maybe", you say?

So... Who's protecting you?

Who's backing you up?

What do they offer you?

Hold on...

What are you doing?

Go down.

What did you think about all night?

Proud of yourself, are you?

24 hours of interrogation.

Even in Evin prison,

they don't strip people like that.

They do something else at Evin.

This should balance things out, right?

- That's fair.

What's this film about?

What will come out of it?

You take 15 minutes for a single word!

Speak up!

Yes, sorry.

The film is about...

It's about the violence

we inflict upon ourselves...

You're planning to show the violence

between Iranians here in France?

No.

Not only.

You want to show it in Iran,

to real-life interrogators?

Actually, that's a great idea.

Doors would open for you.

You could even move back.

The regime commits violence...

Why not make a film on the Supreme Leader?

-...an oppressive state that uses violence...

A system uses this violence

against its own people.

Here, I am the system.

- If I may !

You are not the system.

I'm speaking to an interrogator

of the Iranian regime.

It uses violence

in interrogation rooms,

in its prisons, in its repressive measures

against its own people,

and...

this violence..

it's rooted inside of us Iranians.

Mehran, ever since you're here,

you bring up this violence about me.

You say I have this anger against Iran.

- Not since the start...

You've been saying it since yesterday.

How'd you reach this psychoanalysis?

It's nonsense.

- These are your words.

You come up with this game

in which people interrogate you

they drag up all their trauma,

to help you be interrogated.

Are we the violent ones, or is it you?

First of all.

Anyhow, what's all this bullshit talk?

It's the first time I hear it.

Your film, it's about the violence

that Iranians in France inflict on each other?

No. But there's some of that too.

We had discussed this together.

At my home.

You'll take that idea to Iran

and say, "I didn't realize it."

What?

Thanks to this idea,

this film could even be sold in Iran.

That's wonderful.

Your future interrogators

will enjoy watching this film.

Watching Iranians in France

tearing themselves to bits.

They'll even talk around, saying,

"We saw this set of films...

Iranians who had been interrogated,

now interrogating each other."

Wonderful.

Thanks a lot.

All this, thanks to the Islamic Republic.

Mehran, you think you're an intellectual, right?

You've read a lot, it seems.

You think you speak in a refined manner.

That you're a clever thinker...

-I think this semi-totalitarian system,

that has been around since the Shah,

it's made us all sick.

But...

What do you want me to do to you?

What do you like?

What do you want to happen next?

What?

- I'll do whatever you say.

You say we choose to be abused.

So go ahead, you choose.

What form of abuse do you want?

In a real interrogation room,

if you answer my question with a question,

you'll be beaten silly, understand?

If you were interrogated by Sad Emami,

you'd have no place to breathe.

What do you plan to do

with this footage you're filming?

Who will you send it to in Iran?

Send what?

Footage of myself being beaten?

- Are you being beaten?

Your problem is that you're

in your own little world.

Is it right to make people suffer

in the name of cinema?

To hurt them again?

To pick at old wounds?

What gives you the right to do that?

If you think this "interrogation"

is anything at all like...

walk up and down.

Don't stand there staring at me.

This is nothing like the real thing.

There's no stick being stuck up your a*s.

I mean, just saying it...

- Just me saying it?

This is the same logic you used

with the Bassidji and the mullahs.

For nothing.

When you grow the ba*ls to go there

and you end up in prison,

and one of them films you,

then that'll be a real documentary.

Anyhow, in this film,

I try my best to show

what t*rture and interrogation are.

Oh, were you tortured today?

t*rture isn't just about beating.

You laugh in front of me

and you say you're tortured?

You think it's all a joke,

and you say you're tortured?

I'm the one being tortured here!

You think it's all a game?

Like this is a nice chat over a coffee?

You think it's like that there?

Keep walking.

Do you really think the stress

of a real interrogation room,

let alone the t*rture,

do you think it's anything like

what you're experiencing?

I know it's not comparable.

Then what's the point of this film?

You think if you take this film

about interrogation with you to Iran,

if you show it to the mam

who will be your interrogator...

Do you think only you will get in trouble?

Do you believe the regime won't harass

the families of the others in your film?

I wanted you to stand outside

your kids' school for two minutes,

you couldn't make a step.

You refuse to involve your family.

And you think you're some amazing director?

I don't claim that.

Why are you filming people

who've experienced this type of violence?

Aren't you ashamed

of casting people for this?

I make an offer, people can refuse.

They can say no.

Maybe they can't refuse it.

Maybe they're masochists.

Do you have to involve them in this?

Look, it's not so bad

but just recognize that

you're giving out information on them.

I'm not informing on anyone.

- So?

But if you're saying I'm unethical

because of what I'm doing...

maybe you're right.

If it feels like...

Your films never give me the impression

that you're either respectful or ethical.

You say you're an ethical person,

but I've never felt that with your films.

You take money from the French

so you can cosy up to Bassidji in Iran,

so you can make shitty "exotic" films.

You tour Western film festivals,

people tell you "how brave you are",

then you go back to Iran, like a pathetic...

"Excuse me, I've come to open a dialogue."

"Please, despite the rioting."

Walk on.

See, before it was them toying with you,

now you've flipped the game.

And?

Ever since they took your passport,

ever since those three interrogations...

they weren't even real interrogations...

Don't stop.

-And ?

Is this your revenge?

Against who?

You want to use the people here

to take power away from the interrogator.

So you can say,

"I know you better than anyone."

"I know your game."

How do you come up with these ideas?

What else can it be?

How else could you come up

with the idea for such a film?

If you at least went to Iran, we'd say,

"He's sticking his neck out too."

I do want to go!

We're the only ones sticking our necks out.

You really want to go?

Why did you change your mind this morning?

I want to. I just have to...

What?

When the time comes,

I'll see if I'm still brave enough.

If you're not brave enough,

what's the point in filming all this?

This footage... It'll become a film...

After making people suffer,

you have to suffer too.

You should have a taste of it yourself.

Without it, you just make people suffer

to make your films, as always.

Don't stop.

You're reducing my film

to something that's...

a disgrace.

But it's not just that.

Defend yourself.

What do you have to say?

I've said everything.

There's nothing more.

What you've said isn't worth a damn.

This isn't a film.

The existence of your film

won't change anything in this world.

Films like "Bassidji" and "Iranian".

You could say that about all films.

No, not all films.

You can't make such a criticism

of a film that is sincere.

Any documentary...

You can make a bad film,

make mistakes, act immorally.

It happens to everyone.

But you need to admit your mistakes.

What are my mistakes?

Your mistake is,

you gave the mullahs credit.

Your mistake is,

you promoted them.

Your mistake is,

you made a joke out of interrogation.

All day long,

you've been giggling.

Can you imagine bursting out laughing

in front of a real interrogator?

I didn't "burst out laughing."

I laughed a few times.

Look, you're stopped again,

a real interrogator would have broken your knees.

When will you admit it?

- What?

That this isn't cinema.

This isn't a documentary.

Go to your room.

Where?

Where you were before.

What gave you the right

to ask people to play this game?

What would you say if this experience

stuck with me for the next 10 years?

The pain of the last two days?

- Yes.

Continuing to play this game

will take us to a very dark place.

If I had to show you my scars,

unleash them on you, that would be awful.

You lured me into a game

where I don't have the means to go all the way.

In this game,

I have to constantly seek myself out.

Seek out my interrogator.

For you to have your experience.

What are you thinking?

You're thinking, "This is cinema.

I'm sowing seeds to create a dialogue."

"They'll hear Zar's voice."

You think that next time,

they won't look into our private lives.

Next time?

For example...

That from now on, in interrogations,

they will no longer stick their noses

in people's private lives.

They won't conflate things.

They won't be violent.

They'll interrogate with humanity.

That if you go back to Iran,

they'll treat you more humanely.

Because you finally opened a dialogue.

This film is already a dialogue with them.

Do you actually think it'll work?

If you convince me it'll work,

if I manage to believe in it,

I would thank you

for involving me in this game,

for making this sacrifice

because it will pay off.

'Cause the guy will be hit,

thanks to the seeds you have sown.

But deep inside you

do you think someone will change?

That something will change?

That, I don't know.

In any case, it's a whole system.

The interrogator is an individual...

It's really hard, letting out this ugly,

violent part of myself.

It's hard,

bringing out these parts of myself...

parts of myself that break principles,

that let you be so violent to someone.

Being irrational and violent.

I don't think it's possible

to dialogue with someone at that point.

You mean a real-life interrogator?

- Yes.

Just seeing myself

after these last two days scares me!

How could an interrogator look at himself?

Look back at his 20 years

of work as an interrogator?

Through your film?

How can that change him?

By seeing himself.

-But how can you make him look at himself?

He doesn't see himself.

Maybe if you have faith

that he can change,

if you have faith,

you should also give him this chance.

That's my reasoning.

Maybe I'm wrong, as you think.

And maybe I'm seriously wrong, but...

The only thing that worries me now

is how you feel hurt.

And it's also true that...

the fact I'm disturbed

has no impact on how you feel.

Well, that's it!

That's good, because it breaks you.

This is how you get crushed.

I even enjoyed crushing you,

with the things I've said.

You feel bad, and that's good!

But you hurt me, yes.

Even if you tried to avoid it.

I didn't try to avoid it.

A project like this brings out a lot of pain.

Are you angry?

- I don't know if I'm me or the interrogator.

Should I stop being the interrogator?

As you wish.

- Am I done now?

I hurt you.

You end up loathing yourself.

It's hard being like that.

Do you regret it?

- No, I don't regret it.

No, not at all.

I said you made me suffer

to make you falter, to break you.

To see if I was on the right track.

The most terrifying thing is that

if it lasted three weeks, I could have become

physically violent with you.

There were things I was visualising.

Maybe you can't imagine this,

but I saw myself raping you.

You mean you saw yourself...?

I could imagine doing it.

Doing it yourself?

- Yes.

During these two days,

I didn't dare do it.

I didn't take things further, but...

I could've gotten violent and wild

to the point of doing it.

If I kept going in the same direction.

I was beginning to convince myself

that you're a spy.

What?

-Through force of repetition.

Violence breeds violence.

By repeating it,

you end up believing it.

Were you starting to believe?

Seriously, yes.

At times, it was repeating an experience

from your own life.

In some respects.

You were inspired by your own experience.

- Yes, they question you very directly...

What?

- He delves into your life story.

Besides that,

they stripped me and filmed me naked.

Really?

On the pretext of a medical exam, but...

Who were they? Women?

Yes, but before that,

Judge Mortazavi asked me :

"Stand up, turn around.

Tell me how you f*ck. How does it start?"

And because I didn't say anything...

- What?

Because I answered nothing,

he sent me to the medical examiner.

The examination consisted in

getting me naked and filming.

It wasn't a simple check-up.

The doctor penetrated me

so violently with her fingers,

I couldn't walk for three days.

For that event,

I was looking for something similar.

To act out with you

what I had experienced.

Part of it was improvised.

Did you want to get me naked?

I didn't have a thought-out idea.

I just wanted to see how far you'd go.

What do you think will happen

if I take this film to Iran?

Maybe you'll be able to open a dialogue.

A dialogue without any outcome.

Because they are what they are.

But at least..

it becomes a movie.

MY WORST ENEMY