I just saw this movie, that was voted public's favorite at a local Arab film festival. I was completely dumbstruck. The pictures are gorgeous, the storyline very simple and deeply moving, and the acting is absolutely divine.
Suburbs of Teherean, Iran. A factory manager illegally employs Afghan refugees as workers, among them Abdelsalam and his daughter Marona. Saber, a young Iranian, shares their working place, and every afternoon goes secretly meet Marona in a container on the factory areal. There they spend time together, play innocent games and fantasize themselves to other realities.
Around this simple plot (don't worry, despite the "forbidden love" theme nothing is cheesy about this movie), the film explores the loss of homeland, the life of refugees, the love between persons that tradition opposes. The film is told in a subtle, quite minimalist manner, with a beautiful and poetic photography (these colors!), it's also really silent (no music added I think, but I' not totally sure). It's also really thrilling.
I immediately fell in love with the main characters, their kind natures and the naive romance they share. Both actors are fantastic, absolutely believable, and this despite sharing a lot of scenes where they are crying! (I always pictures such scenes as extremely difficult to play). I'm not the movie crier type, but I felt so much empathy for the cute couple, especially for Saber, that I had troubles not to sob along them. All of the other protagonists are great as well, and plunge us deep into their culture and their troubled lives and longing for the lost Afghanistan.
In short: an excellent foreign tragic romance, to see mainly in aw for the strength of the acting. No dubbed version allowed! :)
!!!!!!!!SPOILER!!!!!!
Why I didn't give 10 stars: the ending, that is faaaaar from "and they lived happily ever after". I was actually so shocked that I kept a dumbstruck face for the next half an hour. So I don't know if I'll watch this movie again: on an emotional level, it is exhausting. Still loved it though.
Suburbs of Teherean, Iran. A factory manager illegally employs Afghan refugees as workers, among them Abdelsalam and his daughter Marona. Saber, a young Iranian, shares their working place, and every afternoon goes secretly meet Marona in a container on the factory areal. There they spend time together, play innocent games and fantasize themselves to other realities.
Around this simple plot (don't worry, despite the "forbidden love" theme nothing is cheesy about this movie), the film explores the loss of homeland, the life of refugees, the love between persons that tradition opposes. The film is told in a subtle, quite minimalist manner, with a beautiful and poetic photography (these colors!), it's also really silent (no music added I think, but I' not totally sure). It's also really thrilling.
I immediately fell in love with the main characters, their kind natures and the naive romance they share. Both actors are fantastic, absolutely believable, and this despite sharing a lot of scenes where they are crying! (I always pictures such scenes as extremely difficult to play). I'm not the movie crier type, but I felt so much empathy for the cute couple, especially for Saber, that I had troubles not to sob along them. All of the other protagonists are great as well, and plunge us deep into their culture and their troubled lives and longing for the lost Afghanistan.
In short: an excellent foreign tragic romance, to see mainly in aw for the strength of the acting. No dubbed version allowed! :)
!!!!!!!!SPOILER!!!!!!
Why I didn't give 10 stars: the ending, that is faaaaar from "and they lived happily ever after". I was actually so shocked that I kept a dumbstruck face for the next half an hour. So I don't know if I'll watch this movie again: on an emotional level, it is exhausting. Still loved it though.
