Abbas Kiarostami’s first feature made outside his native Iran is this sumptuous, brain-teasing romance, in which a deceptively simple relationship morphs into something more complex—and keeps the audience guessing. Cannes winner Juliette Binoche is enigmatic, vulnerable and perfect in the lead role.

The final film in Kiarostami’s experimental video phase, Shirin is the story of Iran’s social oppression of women told purely through powerful reaction shots of famous actors as they watch an unseen performance. Includes Juliette Binoche, who would later star in Kiarostami’s Certified Copy.