Fifi Howls from Happiness: Bahman Mohassess' "Impossible Masterpiece."

Iranian painter and sculptor Bahman Mohassess (1931–2010) was hailed as the "Persian Picasso" prior to the Islamic Revolution of 1979, after which he left the country to escape the government's censorship and its stifling control over artistic freedom. With the exception of a few pieces (including the title work), he destroyed many of his creations before turning his back on Iran and settling into a reclusive life in Rome. Shortly before his death in 2010, filmmaker Farahani tracked him down and interviewed him for several days. Although the camera rarely leaves Mohassess's apartment, the filmmaker establishes a strong connection with him as the artist casts a humorous and at times bittersweet reflection on his career, art, and homosexuality, as well as his disdain for the Iranian government and contempt of the world in general. A bonus feature is the 1967 documentary The Eye That Hears.