Is it ever too late to start again? This is a question that has been asked since time immemorial and has been the subject of constant pondering by a range of philosophers. Social critics alike, who observe the surrounding world and attempt to offer some solution to something that has clearly been the source of a lot of debate, has time goes on. This is also the basis for My Favourite Cake (Persian: کیک محبوب من), in which Behtash Sanaeeha and Maryam Moghaddam make their third film together, telling the story of Mahin, a seventy-year-old widow living a peaceful but uninteresting life in Tehran, spending her days wandering through the local market or sitting quietly in her home, patiently waiting for some kind of human contact with her friends or family, all of whom live too far to make their visits a frequent occurrence. However, she has learned to be both defiant and steadfast in her beliefs, which sometimes finds her in some trouble with the strict authorities who merely see her as an elderly woman with an attitude, and do their best to suppress her protestations. However, her true desire is to feel love again, and when she encounters a charismatic but introverted taxi driver, she invites him to her home for dinner and a discussion, in which both of them reflect on their past and wax poetic on their innermost existential quandaries, slowly falling in love with one another in the process, even when fate has a different plan for them. A genuinely remarkable film that is as charming as it is heartbreaking, My Favourite Cake is an extraordinary achievement – a well-crafted blend of comedy and drama, developed beautifully by two of the finest directors working in contemporary Iranian cinema, the film strikes a chord in a way that we simply cannot help but be entirely entranced by its themes and visionary approach to telling this story, which is a complex and enticing combination of tonal shifts and narrative leaps, all of which are bundled together in this tremendously moving exploration of the human condition, as seen through the eyes of a single woman who wants to inspire change in her own small but significant way, but finds far too many obstacles standing on the path ahead, but which only motivates her to be even more defiant against the draconian systems designed to suppress her voice.

Two narrative threads are used to weave this film together, which are related enough to be cohesive, but still separate in how they look at different aspects of the same general subject matter. The film is essentially divided into two halves – the first is a series of moments in which we follow the protagonist as she goes about her daily routine, visiting the market, meeting with friends and generally going about her life as someone aware that she’s in her final chapter, but still wants to make the most of every moment. This relates to the directors’ intentions to structure My Favourite Cake around gender issues in contemporary Iran, and how they have radically shifted towards almost stifling conservatism over the past few decades, which has proven to be the source of a lot of controversy both within the country and amongst those who observe how it has changed over the years. The second half, which is the core of the story, is centered around the main character meeting a man with whom she is immediately smitten, inviting him to her home and engaging in a lengthy conversation where they get to know one another and realize that despite their advanced age, there is always the possibility of a new start, especially when it comes to finding love. Many seem to think romance is reserved for young people, and that once someone reaches a particular age, they are past their prime and cannot experience that poetic feeling of falling madly in love with someone for the first time. This film subverts this outdated theory by proving to be an astoundingly beautiful exploration of two humans leaping their better judgment, and finding that there is still room for them to grow, even when they are much older than they were the last time they went through this process. We follow Mahin as she sets out to break free from both the shackles of being a woman in a country where they have very few rights, as well as the social belief that she is past the point where romance is feasible – and the results are absolutely extraordinary, with the poignant tone matching perfectly with the charming structure to create this vibrant examination of the blossoming romance between two unexpected companions.

Considering the abundance of layers that constitute My Favourite Cake, the directors were obligated to find the right person to shepherd these themes forward, making the casting of the main character extremely important. They ultimately choose Lily Farhadpour, with whom they had previously collaborated in Ballad of a White Cow, in which she had a small supporting part, but clearly left enough of an impression for Sanaeeha and Moghaddam to be compelled to write her a starring vehicle, which ultimately became this film. On the surface, it seems like a relatively simple role – Mahin is a feisty older woman navigating a social system that she doesn’t understand, but intends to defy. However, as the film progresses and we start to see the various components that make up the story, the more we notice the level of detail that went into this performance. Farhadpour only started her career as an actor just over a decade ago, previously working as a journalist and activist (which she continues to do alongside her forays into acting), and as a result she doesn’t only bring a sense of raw authenticity to the role that would have felt too polished and lacking in nuance had it been played by someone with a lengthier career, but also an abundance of firsthand experience, which makes up for so many of the film’s most memorable moments. It is one of the year’s most beautiful performances, and Farhadpour carries the entire story almost entirely on her own, bringing such depth to what could have been a one-dimensional archetype in the hands of another actor without this level of commitment. Esmail Mehrabi (himself a veteran actor of nearly fifty years) is a relatively late entry into the film, but he immediately captures our attention, playing the introverted taxi driver who becomes the subject of Mahin’s affections. The pair have incredible chemistry, and the final act of the film can be a self-contained work all on its own, based solely on the exceptional work being done by these two actors, both of whom are wholeheartedly committed to these challenging roles.

My Favourite Cake is walking a very narrow tonal tightrope throughout, and one that some may not anticipate to be quite this provocative or unpredictable. On the surface, it seems purely observational – like many contemporary works of Iranian cinema (especially those that are covertly trying to critique the harsh socio-cultural system that has been in place for decades), the film attempts to be a very quiet, nuanced examination of the lives of these characters as they make their way through their daily life. However, it gradually starts to reveal something deeper beneath the surface, primarily in terms of how it is commenting on these topics – and it becomes quite clear where the film is going once we reach the climactic moments, which is where Sanaeeha and Moghaddam are impelled to do something that borders on quite cruel in terms of what the protagonist has to endure, but which sends a very powerful message that immediately indicates that this is far from a lightweight affair. The film exhibits one of the most extraordinary commands of tone we’ve seen this year, with the perfect balance of comedy and drama being perhaps its strong quality, standing alongside the interminable compassion to tell a story that is profoundly moving and deeply captivating, all the while offering us something extremely memorable, without needing to become too heavy-handed, which was a legitimate concern considering the subject matter. The directors’ ability to seamlessly volley between joy and sadness throughout this film is incredible, and while some of the decisions are sure to be polarising, there is a poignancy to them that feels extremely integral to the identity of the film and everything that it ultimately represents, most of which only becomes clear towards the end. The lack of overwrought emotions is also quite notable – there were many opportunities for this film to descend into unbearable misery, but it consistently defies taking the easier route, with the directors choosing to challenge the system in the same way that the characters go against the system and its conventions. It has quite a stark atmosphere, and one that is easy to embrace, considering the surrounding material is so extremely earnest and genuine; everything else that surrounds it can only be viewed through this lens.

Any film that takes on the somewhat daunting task of exploring the culture of a particular country is going to need to put in the work to be seen as more than just a series of overwrought statements on social and cultural injustices. My Favourite Cake intends to be both a sprawling depiction of contemporary life in Iran, and a very intimate character study about an older woman overcoming her day-to-day challenges, which seem to only be inflating as time progresses and the government takes more of a hold on the freedom of its citizens, to the point where she is actively being oppressed, as are countless other women. However, this film is not aimed at being a didactic or overly intense political statement, but rather a compelling reflection on the country’s history in relation to the present, which paints quite a bleak portrait of its approach to human rights, or the lack thereof. All of this is contained within a vibrant, captivating film that seamlessly blends comedy and drama in a way that feels genuinely quite engaging without being too harsh. Anchored by an extraordinary performance, which sets the foundation for a truly astonishing character study, My Favourite Cake is an immense achievement – it is very simple, and there are some moments that it seems to imply are meant to be surprises, but can be predicted from quite a distance (especially in the haunting few moments), but it is nonetheless thoroughly moving, engaging filmmaking that is filled to the brim with heart and soul, and evokes such incredible compassion through simply trying to tell the story of someone seeking out love, and discovering that it is neither too late to follow your heart’s desires, but also that life tends to be unpredictable, and that we can’t anticipate the surprises that are standing before us. It’s a wonderful, engaging and compelling film that is filled with humour, happiness and heartbreak, and proves to be a tender, melancholic affair that is both a celebration of life and a poignant manifesto to its various challenges.