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جدایی نادر از سیمین

FILM · 2011 · IR

جدایی نادر از سیمین

Directed by
Asghar Farhadi
Runtime
123 min
Studio
Asghar Farhadi Productions, Memento Production

94 archived facts 7 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026

A married couple are faced with a difficult decision – to improve the life of their child by moving to another country or to stay in Iran and look after a deteriorating parent who has Alzheimer's disease.

  • جدایی نادر از سیمین — production image

94 Interesting Facts About جدایی نادر از سیمین

Interesting Facts (20)

  1. #001

    Many viewers are still confused about what actually happened to the money that drives a series of misunderstandings throughout the plot. The missing money that Nader accuses Razieh of stealing is the same money Simin took at the start of the film to pay the movers.

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  2. #002

    There is no musical score except during the film's closing title sequence.

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  3. #003

    Director Asghar Farhadi's first idea for the film was the image of a man washing his Alzheimer's-stricken father. He built the rest of the film around that scene.

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  4. #004

    In the film's final scene, both Nader and Simin are dressed in black, which points to the death of Nader's father.

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  5. #005

    At the Cinema House Film Festival, director Asghar Farhadi gave a speech in support of Iranian filmmakers who had been banned from making films, among them Bahman Ghobadi and imprisoned filmmaker Jafar Panahi. In retaliation, Iran's Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance halted shooting for 10 days.

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  6. #006

    Sarina Farhadi, the director's daughter, who plays Termeh, shared the Best Actress (ensemble) award at the Berlin International Film Festival.

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  7. #007

    Much of the film was shot with a handheld camera.

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  8. #008

    It is the first Iranian film to win a Golden Globe.

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  9. #009

    With roughly 20 million dollars in worldwide box office, it is the most successful Iranian film to date.

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  10. #010

    It is the first film to win three Bear awards at the Berlin International Film Festival.

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  11. #011

    As of 2015, it was the first Iranian film to enter the Top 250 list.

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  12. #012

    Jake Gyllenhaal said he loved this film and that Asghar Farhadi is one of the most influential directors of the last 20 years.

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  13. #013

    Roger Ebert considered A Separation the best film of 2011.

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  14. #014

    A Separation won the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival, a first for Iran.

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  15. #015

    A Separation was the first Iranian film to receive a Golden Globe nomination.

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  16. #016

    A Separation is included among the Top 250 Narrative Feature Films on Letterboxd.

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  17. #017

    A Separation ranked 21st in a 2018 critics' poll conducted by the BBC.

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  18. #018

    Sight & Sound magazine considered A Separation the second-best film of 2011.

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  19. #019

    A Separation was praised by Meryl Streep and Brad Pitt.

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  20. #020

    A Separation is Asghar Farhadi's fifth feature film.

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Production Story (31)

  1. #021

    Director Asghar Farhadi made a speech at the House of Cinema Film Festival in support of Iranian filmmakers who were banned from making movies, including Bahman Ghobadi and imprisoned filmmaker Jafar Panahi. In retaliation, Iran's Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance stopped filming for 10 days.

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  2. #022

    Asghar Farhadi's 5th feature film.

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  3. #023

    The film was released under the name "The Separation of Nader from Simin" in Iran.

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  4. #024

    Director Asghar Farhadi's first idea for the movie was the image of a man washing his father who had Alzheimer's. He built the rest of the film around that scene.

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  5. #025

    The film has no musical score, except during the end credits.

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  6. #026

    The first scene that emerged in director Asghar Farhadi's mind was the image of a man washing his Alzheimer's-stricken father. He built the film's entire story around this poignant moment.

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  7. #027

    At the Cinema House Film Festival, Farhadi gave a speech in support of Iranian filmmakers banned from making films, including Bahman Ghobadi and imprisoned director Jafar Panahi. In response, Iran's Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance halted the shoot for 10 days.

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  8. #028

    The success of the production, the first Iranian film to win an Oscar, was reported only once on Iranian television. Farhadi's second film officially submitted by Iran to the Academy brought the first Oscar to both him and his country.

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  9. #029

    It holds the distinction of being the first Iranian film to win a Golden Globe.

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  10. #030

    It became the most successful Iranian film of all time, grossing approximately 20 million dollars worldwide.

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  11. #031

    It is the first Iranian film nominated for an Oscar in the Best Original Screenplay category. Although it lost the award to Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris, Allen described A Separation as the best film of 2011.

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  12. #032

    It is the first Iranian film nominated for a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award.

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  13. #033

    It is the first production to win all three Bear awards at the Berlin International Film Festival. By taking the Golden Bear, the festival's top prize, it gave Iran a first in this field.

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  14. #034

    As of 2015, it retains its status as the first Iranian film to enter the Top 250 list.

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  15. #035

    It is the second Iranian film nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. The first nominee in this category was the 1997 production Children of Heaven.

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  16. #036

    It ranked 9th on the BBC's 2015 list of the "100 Best Films of the 21st Century."

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  17. #037

    It was chosen as the best film of 2011 by the renowned critic Roger Ebert.

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  18. #038

    It was released in Iran under the title "Simin's Separation from Nader."

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  19. #039

    It appears in the book "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die," edited by Steven Schneider. It is also among Letterboxd's Official Top 250 Narrative Feature Films; according to Sight & Sound magazine it is the second best film of 2011, and it placed 21st in the BBC's 2018 critics' poll.

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  20. #040

    It is Asghar Farhadi's fifth feature film.

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  21. #041

    No music is used in the film apart from the closing credits music. This choice reinforces the story's realism and the natural flow of everyday life.

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  22. #042

    Most of the film was shot with a handheld camera. This approach places the viewer right in the middle of the events and creates a documentary-like intimacy.

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  23. #043

    The director's daughter, Sarina Farhadi, shared the Best Actress (collective) award at the Berlin International Film Festival for the role of Termeh.

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  24. #044

    (Around 1 hour 12 minutes) Hojjat (Shahab Hosseini) keeps objecting to the judge, who then orders him to leave the courtroom. Still objecting as he leaves, Hojjat bangs his head against the entrance door and the door actually collapses. This moment was not in the script; it was improvised by Hosseini. According to behind-the-scenes footage, everyone on set applauded Hosseini, Farhadi kissed him on the forehead and kept the scene. Hosseini had to put ice on his head because of the impact.

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  25. #045

    Jake Gyllenhaal said he loved the film and that Asghar Farhadi is one of the most influential directors of the last 20 years.

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  26. #046

    The first scene to take shape in director Asghar Farhadi's mind was the image of a man washing his Alzheimer's-stricken father. He built the entire story of the film around this poignant moment.

    PRODUCTION STORY · SOURCED

    ShareReport
  27. #047

    At the House of Cinema Film Festival, Farhadi gave a speech in support of Iranian filmmakers banned from making films, among them Bahman Ghobadi and the imprisoned director Jafar Panahi. In response, Iran's Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance halted the shoot for 10 days.

    PRODUCTION STORY · SOURCED

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  28. #048

    The production, the first Iranian film to win an Oscar, was reported only once on Iranian television for this achievement. Farhadi's second film officially submitted by Iran to the Academy brought the first Oscar both to him and to his country.

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  29. #049

    It became the most successful Iranian film of all time, grossing around 20 million dollars worldwide.

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  30. #050

    As of 2015, it remains the first Iranian film to enter the Top 250 list.

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  31. #051

    It ranked 9th on the BBC's "100 Best Films of the 21st Century" list published in 2015.

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Behind the Scenes (5)

  1. #052

    Most of the movie was shot using a handheld camera.

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  2. #053
    Contains a major spoiler — show

    (Around 1hr 12m) Hojjat (Shahab Hosseini) keeps objecting to the judge and consequently, the judge asks him to leave the court. On his way out, Hojjat keeps on objecting and hits the entrance door with his head, denting it for real. This was not in the script and was improvised by Hosseini. According to backstage footage and behind the scenes, everyone on the set applauded Hosseini and Farhadi kissed Hosseini's forehead and kept the scene. Hosseini had to put ice on his head due to the impact.

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  3. #054

    At about 1 hour 12 minutes, Hojjat (Shahab Hosseini) keeps arguing with the judge, who finally tells him to leave the courtroom. As Hojjat exits he continues to argue and hits the entrance door with his head, actually denting it. This was not in the script and was improvised by Hosseini. According to behind-the-scenes footage, everyone on set applauded Hosseini, and Farhadi protected the take by kissing Hosseini on the forehead. Because of the impact, Hosseini had to put ice on his head.

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  4. #055

    No music is used in the film apart from its credits music. This choice reinforces the story's realism and the natural flow of everyday life.

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  5. #056

    Much of the film was shot with a handheld camera. This approach places the viewer right in the middle of the events and creates a documentary-like intimacy.

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Characters & Cast (3)

  1. #057

    The director's daughter, Sarina Farhadi, shared the Best Actress (ensemble) award at the Berlin International Film Festival for the role of Termeh.

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  2. #058

    (At about 1 hour 12 minutes) Hojjat (Shahab Hosseini) keeps objecting to the judge, who then orders him to leave the courtroom. Still objecting as he exits, Hojjat hits his head on the entrance door, and the door actually collapses. This moment was not in the script; it was improvised by Hosseini. According to behind-the-scenes footage, everyone on set applauded Hosseini, Farhadi kissed him on the forehead and kept the scene. Hosseini had to put ice on his head because of the impact.

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  3. #059

    Jake Gyllenhaal said he loved this film very much and that Asghar Farhadi is one of the most influential directors of the last 20 years.

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Easter Eggs & References (1)

  1. #060

    In the opening credits, the two ID cards being photocopied belong to Hediyeh Tehrani and Hamid Farrokhnezhad, the two actors who played a couple heading for divorce in Farhadi's previous film Fireworks Wednesday (2006).

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Deeper Meaning (5)

  1. #061
    Contains a major spoiler — show

    At the end, many viewers are still confused about what actually happened to the money that drives the series of misunderstandings throughout the plot. The missing money, which Nader accuses Razieh of stealing, is the same money that Simin takes to pay the movers at the very beginning of the movie.

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  2. #062
    Contains a major spoiler — show

    In the final scene of the film, Nader and Simin are both wearing black, alluding to the death of Nader's father.

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  3. #063

    At the end of the film, many viewers are still confused about the fate of the money that causes misunderstandings throughout the story. The missing money that Nader accuses Razieh of stealing is in fact the very money Simin paid to the movers at the very beginning of the film.

    DEEPER MEANING · SOURCED

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  4. #064

    In the film's final scene, both Nader and Simin are dressed in black; this is a reference to the death of Nader's father.

    DEEPER MEANING · SOURCED

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  5. #065

    The two ID cards being photocopied in the opening credits belong to Hediyeh Tehrani and Hamid Farrokhnezhad, who played a couple on the verge of divorce in Farhadi's previous film, Fireworks Wednesday (2006).

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Career & Awards (29)

  1. #066

    As of 2015, the first Iranian film to be included in the Top 250.

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  2. #067

    The film was praised by Meryl Streep and Brad Pitt.

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  3. #068

    The director's daughter, Sarina Farhadi, who plays Termeh, shared the Best Actress (ensemble) Award at the Berlin International Film Festival.

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  4. #069

    The second Iranian film nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The first was Children of Heaven (1997).

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  5. #070

    Asghar Farhadi's second film to be officially submitted to the Academy by Iran, which won the first Oscar for him and Iran.

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  6. #071

    First Iranian film to win an Oscar.

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  7. #072

    Included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die," edited by Steven Schneider.

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  8. #073

    Considered by Roger Ebert as the best movie of 2011.

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  9. #074

    With nearly $20 million gross in its worldwide showings, it is the most successful Iranian film ever.

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  10. #075

    The first Iranian film nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

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  11. #076

    The first Iranian film to receive a Golden Globe award.

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  12. #077

    Won the Golden Bear of the Berlin International Film Festival, which is Iran's first.

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  13. #078

    Jake Gyllenhaal said that he loves this movie too much and that Asghar Farhadi is one of the most influential directors of the past 20 years.

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  14. #079

    This film is in the Official Top 250 Narrative Feature Films on Letterboxd.

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  15. #080

    Woody Allen's film Midnight in Paris won the Academy Award for best original screenplay over this film. Allen said that A Separation was the best film of 2011.

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  16. #081

    Considered by Sight & Sound magazine as the second best movie of 2011.

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  17. #082

    Ranked #9 in BBC's "100 Greatest Films of The 21st Century" list in 2015.

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  18. #083

    The first Iranian film ever to receive a Golden Globe nomination.

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  19. #084

    The first Iranian film nominated for a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award.

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  20. #085

    The first film to win three Bear awards from the Berlin International Film Festival.

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  21. #086

    The news of the film's winning an Oscar was mentioned only once on Iranian TV.

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  22. #087

    Ranked number 21 in the critics' poll conducted by the BBC in 2018.

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  23. #088

    It is the first Iranian film to win an Oscar.

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  24. #089

    The news that the film had won the Oscar was mentioned only once on Iranian television.

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  25. #090

    It is the first Iranian film to be nominated for the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

    CAREER & AWARDS · SOURCED

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  26. #091

    It is the first Iranian film to be nominated for a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award.

    CAREER & AWARDS · SOURCED

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  27. #092

    Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris won the Oscar for best original screenplay over this film. Allen said A Separation was the best film of 2011.

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  28. #093

    It is the second Iranian film to be nominated for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. The first was Children of Heaven (1997).

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  29. #094

    A Separation was the second film officially submitted by Iran to the Academy, and it won the first Oscar for both Asghar Farhadi and Iran.

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Sources & editorial notes

Reference databases

  • Wikipedia English Wikipedia article
  • IMDb IMDb title page (trivia)

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