The Iran Job

Funny and so authentic
i wasn't expecting to smile during this movie but i did. Amazing to see how the filmaker was able to shoot real life stories in Iran. Great storytelling..Characters are fascinating. The interaction between Kevin and the locals make you think that people are so much more important than governments.

Totally new view of Iran
I have not seen a movie like this before, and for anyone interested in seeing real life inside modern-day Iran, do not miss this film. You get a taste for everyday life, from shopping to home life, the community sporting events which are central to the film, as well as the power and intrusiveness of the government under which Iranians must live. And using basketball as the vehicle for bringing this view to the outside world is a stroke of brilliance. Kevin Sheppard is extraordinary. His spirit is infectious, and you can see how his friends, neighbors, teammates, and even strangers gravitate to him. But Schauder and Nodjoumi have captured the natural beauty of each of the main subjects of this documentary, and given even those of us somewhat familiar with Iranian culture a totally new view.

4.5 stars... outstanding movie/lousy timing from Film Movement
I am a long-time fan of the foreign and indie movie library of Film Movement, and am a subscriber of the Film Movement DVD-of-the-month club (more on that later).

"The Iran Job" (2012 release; 95 min.) is a documentary that brings us the story of Kevin Sheppard, a US basketball player who didn't make it into the NBA but did find a career as a "journey man" (his own words) in foreign basketball leagues. In the Fall of 2008, he is signed by a team in the Iranian Super League and off he goes for a full season of basketball in Iran. The team he plays for is A.S. Shiraz, a city of about 1.5 million people. Sheppard moves into an apartment with another foreign player on the team, a guy from Serbia. The team has just achieved promotion into the Super League and no first year Super League team has ever made the play-offs. Will Sheppard be able to lead them into the play-offs? The other part of the movie is even more compelling, as we get a glimpse of the ordinary lives of ordinary...

Click to Editorial Reviews