protean ˈprō-tē-ən , prō-ˈtē- adjective
: taking on different forms
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The word protean has appeared in 37 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on March 7 in the movie review “‘3 Faces’ Review: On the Road in Iran (and Off It, Too)” by Manohla Dargis:
Behnaz’s doubts about Marziyeh’s video foreshadow the subjects teased out in the main story, including the sometimes convenient divide between fiction and documentary, performance and what we call real life. Panahi has long explored the protean space between these modes, testing their boundaries. In “3 Faces,” he is at once playing a role in a fiction and himself: a dissident filmmaker with a privileged, sympathetic view of women, which strengthens the movie’s autobiographical underpinning. Panahi was arrested in Iran in 2009 and again in 2010. Accused of making anti-regime propaganda, he was forbidden to leave and barred from making movies for 20 years; this is the fourth feature he’s made since.
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