We're either in the best or the worst moment for an Israeli/Iranian film collaboration. You decide. In any case, Tatami -- a work from directors Guy Nattiv (Israeli) and Zar Amir Ebrahimi (Iranian) -- delves into a sport I knew nothing about, judo. The movie takes place during the World Judo Championships in Tbilisi, the East European capital of Georgia. Leila (Arienne Mandi) enters the competition representing Iran; Leila's coach (played by Amir) encourages her and tries to handle thorny political issues that extend beyond the mat. A strong fighter, Leila is ordered to withdraw from the competition lest she wind up facing an Israeli in the championship match, an unacceptable outcome for the Iranian regime. Leila, who wears a hijab while fighting, avidly insists on trying for a medal. Back in Iran, Leila's husband, child, and parents are threatened, further raising the movie's stakes. The ending upsets sports-movie cliches, but an epilogue feels a bit pat. Filmed in black and white, the filmmakers bring a high level of intensity to the fights, and Mandi, an American actress with an Iranian/Chilean background, fills the screen with Lelia's ambition and fierce determination. Ebrahimi, by the way, was born in Tehran but now resides in Paris.
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