Sign up
Trailer

Persian Lessons

2020Movie2 h 7 min

Drama
71
GoodGoodWatch score
IMDb7.4Letterboxd3.6/5Metacritic536.8Rotten Tomatoes80%89%

A nerve-racking, moving war movie about history and the mind, with standout performances and dialogue.

Good for thought-provoking · adults · partner watch

Skip it if you need an uplifting mood

Where to watch

Fingerprint

Not for warmth, laughs or comfort.

Movies with

Story

Occupied France, 1942. Gilles is arrested by SS soldiers alongside other Jews and sent to a camp in Germany. He narrowly avoids sudden execution by swearing to the guards that he is not Jewish, but Persian. This lie temporarily saves him, but Gilles gets assigned a life-or-death mission: to teach Farsi to Head of Camp Koch, who dreams of opening a restaurant in Iran once the war is over. Through an ingenious trick, Gilles manages to survive by inventing words of "Farsi" every day and teaching them to Koch.

Feels like

  • Holocaust Survival Drama
  • Psychological Chess Match
  • Linguistic Deception
  • Chamber Thriller
  • Moral Ambiguity
  • Power Dynamics
  • Historical Fiction
  • Intense Dialogue
  • Existential Dread
  • Subtle Suspense

Cast

24 of 27

Crew

Directed by
Vadim Perelman
Written by
Ilya Zofin
Produced by
Timur Bekmambetov, Ilya Zofin, Vadim Perelman
Music by
Evgueni Galperine, Sacha Galperine

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

April 17, 2020 · 2 h 7 min · Violence, Disturbing Imagery, Strong Language

Released
April 17, 2020
Runtime
2 h 7 min
Content
Violence, Disturbing Imagery, Strong Language
Genres
War, Drama
Original language
German
Also spoken
English, French, Italian, Persian
Made in
Russia, Germany, Belarus, France
Box office
$4 million
Available in
48 countries

Q&A

4 questions, like "Where can I stream Persian Lessons?"

Questions about Persian Lessons

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream Persian Lessons?

KanopyCohen MediaTubi TV

In the United States, Persian Lessons streams on Cohen Media, and it is free with ads on Kanopy and Tubi TV. You can rent or buy it from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, and Plex. It also streams in 30 other countries.

Is Persian Lessons worth watching?

71
GoodGoodWatch score

Mostly, it's well received, with a GoodWatch score of 71 (IMDb 7.4, Letterboxd 3.6 out of 5, Rotten Tomatoes 80%, and Metacritic 53).

Is Persian Lessons plot-driven or character-driven?

CharactersPlot

Mostly character-driven: it leans on dialogue centrality (10 of 10) and character depth (9 of 10) more than on its plot.

Is Persian Lessons in English?

GermanEnglishFrenchItalianPersian

No, it was made in German, with some English, French, Italian, and Persian.