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An Israeli and an Iranian step onto a judo mat — and make a thriller about a forbidden relationship

JL;DR SUMMARY "Tatami," co-directed by Israeli filmmaker Guy Nattiv and Iranian actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi, is a political thriller about an Iranian judoka pressured to withdraw from a tournament to avoid facing an Israeli opponent. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

FilmJudoGuy NattivZar Amir EbrahimiIranCensorshipInternational RelationsAthletesPolitical Thriller

Places mentioned

Israel
"Iranian athletes regularly face pressure and threats from the Islamic Republic over competing against the Occupying Regime of Israel."
Iran
"Israeli filmmaker Guy Nattiv and Iranian-born actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi, who plays the Iranian coach Maryam."
Tokyo, Japan
"In the 2019 Judo World Championship in Tokyo, fighter Saeid Mollaei was ordered to throw a match to avoid a fight with Israeli champion Sagi Muki."
Tbilisi, Georgia
"Filmed on location in Tbilsi, Georgia, the action cuts from the fights."
France
"Ebrahimi fled Iran for France in 2008, after an intimate tape of her and her boyfriend leaked, putting her at risk of imprisonment and lashing."
New York, United States
"said Nattiv from his and Ebrahimis hotel in New York, where the film is debuting at the IFC Center June 13."
Mongolia
"He is now a Mongolian citizen and won silver at the 2020 Olympics."

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Cairo Item ID 54141
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Retrieved 2025-06-13 05:31:16 UTC
Curated 2025-06-13 08:31:16 UTC