Photo: supplied
Review - The Western view of modern Iran is hardly flattering - a nation permanently at war perhaps, run with the sort of religious fundamentalism that made Oliver Cromwell so disliked?
But when we see Iranian films - Iran is an enthusiastic producer of both art-films for foreign festivals and commercial films for home consumption - there seems to be a definite disconnect.
My Favourite Cake may be about the difficulties faced by Iranian women - especially older women. But to look at, it could be any city in the Western world.
The shops, the clothes, the cars and the people - at a distance it looks like New Zealand, albeit New Zealand 30 years ago, maybe.
We meet Mahin - aged about 70 and long-time widowed, now living alone. Her social life is mostly limited to phone calls from her daughter, who took off to the West years ago and can't understand why Mum doesn't too.
Mahin's weak response is that her "friends are all here".
But she only sees these friends once in a blue moon. They all live miles away.
And all they seem to talk about is how hard it is to meet a man. If you don't stay married, your social life is essentially limited.
And that's not just a figure of speech. Life for women in urban Iran is specifically limited by the notorious Morality Police. A law unto themselves, they can stop anyone they like - almost always women - if they disapprove of their appearance, particularly how they cover their hair.
One day, Mahin sees them pick on a young woman, and decides to step in.
Beware of a 70-year-old woman who's prepared to make a nuisance of herself. The cops eventually back down, the young woman is grateful and a flustered Mahin rewards herself with a cuppa at a nearby coffee shop full of older gentlemen.
Including a taxi driver called Faramarz.
There's nothing particularly dashing or sexy about Faramarz. He's certainly no Omar Sharif, say, let alone a romcom staple like Bill Nighy or Hugh Grant.
But he's single, lonely and he confesses it has been years since anyone cooked him a meal.
And Mahin, on the pretext of hiring a taxi home, decides to make Faramarz an offer he can't refuse.
The secret weapon of My Favourite Cake is the sheer likability of its two leads. Lili Farhadpour as Mahin is everyone's favourite grandmother - warm, generous, a little bit naughty.
And Esmaeel Mehrabi as Faramarz is a quiet, slightly shy man who can't believe his luck.
The evening is all about illicit pleasures - ones that might be taken for granted in more privileged parts of town. Like a couple of glasses of wine.
But in Mahin's neighbourhood, you never know who might be peeking through your curtains.
In fact, one such busy-body knocks on the door for no other reason than she thought she heard a man's voice.
In a country that encourages the Morality Police, the phrase "mind your own business" is rarely used these days - which adds some tension to the growing intimacy between Mahin and Faramarz.
You'd wonder who could possibly object to two elderly people sharing a glass of wine and a slice of cake?
But we already know who could object. We've seen them doing it.
My Favourite Cake is the most bittersweet of fables - what happens after an unexpected meeting turns into the best day of their lives.
This year Iran refused to permit the film's directors to travel to the many festivals where it's proved so popular.
Ironically, that only drew attention to the film's decency and humanity - qualities significantly lacking among the authorities.
