Iran, in the mid 20s. One of the last descendants of the Qajar royal family, Prince Ehtejab, is dying from tuberculosis.  Wandering about his winter palace, he is caught up by his past, from  his ancestor's glory to their downfall. Most of all, he recalls their crimes : his grandfather's - who murdered his mother and brother - and his own, when he caused his wife's death...

An Iranian cinema classic, typical of the new wave preceding the islamic revolution. Prince Ehtejab is captivating because of the wealth of it's thematics - from the exactions of tyranny to the ravages of time - but also by its fragmentary form that mirrors the aristocracy's decline. Bahman Farmanara, adapted the book by Houshang Golshiri  but far from an illustrative approach of history, he chose to erase the outlines of reality to mislead the viewer in a time muddled dream. Though the film won the Grand Prize at the Tehran Film Festival, it was censored by the government at the time, because of some sexual and blasphemous details. Formally very bold, Prince Ehtejab imposes it's gloomy obsessive atmosphere, and its sumptuously morbid fragrance.