Iranian Director Ali Asgari Returns to Venice with Political Thriller 'A Bit of Light'

Ali Asgari's making moves. The Iranian director who caught eyes at Venice last year with his dark satire is returning to the festival this time with a feature in the main competition: A Bit of Light. Variety just dropped the first clip, and yeah—it's a timely one.

Without getting too specific about plot, the film is clearly wrestling with the real world happening right now. Asgari isn't making coded metaphors or burying his message—he's working with material that feels urgent and immediate. That's the kind of cinema that festivals eat up, especially when a director has already proven he can balance craft with edge.

Salaud Morisset is handling the international sales, which means this thing's got some real backing. Asgari went from Horizons to competition—that's a meaningful step up at a place like Venice. The film's getting into the room where serious buyers and programmers are paying attention.

We're living in a moment where political cinema either lands or feels hollow. This one seems built for the former.

Read the full story at Variety → https://variety.com/2026/film/global/iranian-director-ali-asgari-a-bit-of-light-first-clip-1236836044/