First Case, Second Case

One of the boys in the classroom is a troublemaker. Every time the teacher faces the blackboard, the boy knocks rhythmically on the underside of his desk. When no one admits to being the culprit, the teacher sends seven pupils out of the class with an ultimatum: hand over the offender and return to class, or else stay in the corridor all week long.

Abbas Kiarostami shot two versions of what happened next. In one version, one of the seven betrays the troublemaker; in the other, all seven show solidarity and remain silent. The director then screened the two versions for a group of administrators, religious leaders and intellectuals.

Kiarostami filmed First Case, Second Case in spring 1979, between the fall of the Shah of Iran and the declaration of the Islamic Republic. It is striking that especially the new leaders—who are filled with revolutionary zeal—praise the resolve of the group who remain silent. These leaders would soon flip this conviction, however, once they had founded their theocracy. Kiarostami’s psychological test disguised as an instructional film was banned immediately after the premiere, and 40 years were to pass before it was screened again.