Ali Asgari brings 'A Bit of Light' to Venice with warning on Iran's future
Iranian director Ali Asgari told Variety after the premiere of his sixth feature, "A Bit of Light," that "In Iran, we don't have high hopes for the future anymore." The interview was published on 13 September 2026, following the film's appearance in the main competition at Venice.
The film is listed by the festival as "Kami nour (A bit of light)," according to La Biennale di Venezia. It is an 87-minute film in Persian from Iran. The Biennale credits Sadaf Asgari in the main cast.
Misagh Zareh plays a doctor who becomes disillusioned after his arrest and whose medical practice is shut down, Asgari told Variety. Reuters described the same character as a doctor who plans to end his life after being arrested and stripped of his practice. He did not soften the message.
Asgari said the story addresses the January 2026 crackdown in Iran, as reported by Deadline. After weeks of protests that month, authorities opened fire on demonstrators, he told Variety. He said some doctors were the only witnesses to what happened afterwards.
Asgari previously directed "Disappearance," "Terrestrial Verses" and "Divine Comedy," according to Variety. "Divine Comedy" appeared in the secondary competition at the previous year's Venice festival. He said he studied in Italy and was inspired by Italian neorealism, the postwar movement known for shooting on location with ordinary people, and by screenwriter Cesare Zavattini.
The film competed for the Golden Lion, the festival's top prize. Asgari walked the red carpet for the in-competition screening at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. The Biennale scheduled that screening for 10 September 2026 at 19:30.
The 83rd festival ran on the Lido di Venezia from 2 to 12 September 2026 and was organised by La Biennale di Venezia. Its Venezia 83 Competition is an international selection of up to 21 feature-length films. "A Bit of Light" is produced by Milad Khosravi for Seven Springs Pictures and handled internationally by Salaud Morisset, the company selling the film to distributors, Asgari told Variety.
For audiences new to his work, the title is literal. Asgari said he believes in "small specks of light" to be able to take the next step.
