Offside

Soccer, as we know from film, is a passion shared the world over - from Buddhist monks to Indian migrant communities to… well, young Iranian women. But Iranian women cannot attend soccer matches, at least not dressed as women! The lively and highly engaging Offside follows the efforts of several young women to make it inside the stadium on match day in what becomes a witty battle of the sexes between the cheeky and determined urban girls and the young country soldiers trying to keep them out. Shot largely on the run without a permit, partly during an actual World Cup qualifying match, the film shows Panahi again mixing fiction and documentary, inspired by an experience he shared with his daughter. This is Panahi's most widely seen film inside Iran - on pirated DVD!

This film is classified PG.

Watch Offside trailer here

• Awards Silver Bear, 2006 Berlin Film Festival