Persian Lessons (2020)
Kernel Score: 83% · 474 ratings
Genres: War, Drama
Released: 2020-04-17
Runtime: 127 minutes
Where to watch Persian Lessons
- Free with ads: Kanopy, Tubi
- Rent: Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube
- Buy: Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube
US availability, updated 2026-10-22.
Overview
Occupied France, 1942. Gilles is arrested by SS soldiers alongside other Jews and sent to a camp in Germany. He narrowly avoids sudden execution by swearing to the guards that he is not Jewish, but Persian. This lie temporarily saves him, but Gilles gets assigned a life-or-death mission: to teach Farsi to Head of Camp Koch, who dreams of opening a restaurant in Iran once the war is over. Through an ingenious trick, Gilles manages to survive by inventing words of "Farsi" every day and teaching them to Koch.
Persian Lessons parents' guide: ages 13+
Parents need to know that Persian Lessons is a Holocaust drama set in a Nazi concentration camp involving imprisonment, executions, and wartime brutality.
- Violence & scariness: Strong — Depicts Nazi concentration camp settings including arrests, threat of sudden execution, and wartime brutality.
Fresh Kernels AI-assessed from publicly documented content. A guide for families, not an official rating.
Movies like Persian Lessons
If you liked Persian Lessons, these are the movies we'd watch next.
- The Counterfeiters (2007) — 85%
- Schindler's List (1993) — 97%
- The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (2008) — 87%
- Resistance (2020) — 76%
- Inglourious Basterds (2009) — 89%
- The Zookeeper's Wife (2017) — 83%
- Life Is Beautiful (1997) — 93%
- Downfall (2004) — 87%
Director
Cast
- Nahuel Pérez Biscayart as Gilles
- Lars Eidinger as Klaus Koch
- Jonas Nay as Max
- Leonie Benesch as Elsa
- Alexander Beyer as Camp Commander
- David Schütter as Paul
- Luisa-Céline Gaffron as Yana
- Andreas Hofer as Adjutant von Dewitz
- Giuseppe Schillaci as Marco Rossi
- Antonin Chalon as Jacob Rossi
Persian Lessons FAQ
Is Persian Lessons good?
Persian Lessons has an 83% Kernel Score on Fresh Kernels from 474 audience ratings.
Where can I watch Persian Lessons?
In the US you can watch it free with ads on Kanopy and Tubi and rent it from Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play and YouTube.
Is Persian Lessons OK for kids?
Fresh Kernels suggests ages 13+. Parents need to know that Persian Lessons is a Holocaust drama set in a Nazi concentration camp involving imprisonment, executions, and wartime brutality.
What movies are like Persian Lessons?
If you liked Persian Lessons, try The Counterfeiters, Schindler's List, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and Resistance.