With the release of his acclaimed, Oscar-winning 2011 drama “A Separation,” Iranian director Asghar Farhadi vaulted to the top echelon of global filmmakers. With the recent death of Abbas Kiarostami and the continued self-exile of Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Farhadi has become, after the officially banned Jafar Panahi, the most important director working in Iran today.
One happy result of this exposure has been the belated American theatrical release of some of Farhadi’s earlier work. “About Elly,” the film he made just before “A Separation,” played at Portland’s Living Room Theaters last year, and now his 2006 effort, “Fireworks Wednesday,” which tackles similar themes, is opening there.