Hasan Kasmai is a once-successful Iranian film director who has been blacklisted and prevented from making films for several years. Frustrated by his stalled career, his actress and former lover Shiva begins working with other directors, while his marriage is also falling apart. At the same time, a mysterious serial killer begins murdering prominent Iranian filmmakers, leaving Hasan increasingly obsessed with one humiliating question: why has the killer ignored him?
Hasan’s wounded pride becomes even more extreme when a series of bizarre misunderstandings causes the public to suspect that he may be connected to the murders. As social media speculation spreads, he desperately tries to regain control of his reputation and prove his importance within the Iranian film world. His increasingly chaotic attempts turn the situation into an absurd mixture of crime, satire, and dark comedy.
Mani Haghighi uses Hasan’s ridiculous predicament to satirize artistic ego, celebrity culture, censorship, and the pressures surrounding filmmakers in Iran. The film deliberately mixes absurd humor with darker themes, creating a surreal portrait of a frustrated artist whose obsession with recognition becomes more important than reality itself. Pig premiered in competition at the 2018 Berlin International Film Festival.
Director: Mani Haghighi Stars: Hasan Majuni, Leila Hatami, Leili Rashidi, Parinaz Izadyar, Mina Jafarzadeh, Ali Mosaffa
