1:0, in favour of Iran! But the goal can’t be seen, because the camera is stuck outside the stadium, “offside”, along with a group of girls. In Iran, only men are allowed inside – so the girls dress up as boys. Though they get caught, they refuse to be intimidated. In what becomes a hilarious battle of the sexes, the cheeky, determined girls from the city argue about the ban’s absurdity with the young soldiers from the countryside who have been charged with enforcing it. Comedy prevails, but beneath the light-hearted surface, injustice simmers. Inspired by an experience he shared with his daughter, football fan Panahi shot much of Offside outside a roaring stadium during a real game.

Courtesy of the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia