Baran - rain

2001 by Majid Majidi

Lateef works in a construction site, supervised by a straight and kind man Memar. When Najaf fells down and breaks his leg, Zoltan brings the 14 year old Rehmat, Najaf's child, to the site and Memar promptly takes him for work. Rehmat seems too weak for the heavy jobs and Memar swaps his work with that of Lateef. Lateef was having an easy time just preparing stupid food and tea for the workers. He is quite angry with Rehmat but soon realise that Rehmat is a girl. His attitude to Rehmat changes and he is more kind and protective of her. Soon he realise that he is in love, but he cannot let her know about that or even look at her straight. Rehmat soon has to leave the site, as she belongs to a group of Afghan's without legal permits. Lateef tries to find her and when he realises the terrible situation of their family, as Najaf cannot help, he even withdraws all his savings from Memar and sends it with Zoltan. But Najaf actually asks Zoltan to take that money and leave for Afghanistan as Zoltan's family is really broke. Lateef then even sells his work permit for some money, to help Najaf. But to his shock he finds out that Najaf also has decided to go back to Afghanistan. Before he sees them off, he looks directly at Rehmat, for the first time, and earns a beautiful smile from her.

A beautiful love story, of untold love, in the background of poverty.

Typical of all Majidi's movies, its told in a very simple way, with minimum dialogues, but with a great pace ideal for the movie. For some reason, we might all feel that Rehmat may not be a girl from the first scenes itself, could be seen as a drawback. But from the moment Lateef realise that and he starts feeling for her, the movie takes a huge leap into a very special love story. His pain, when he sees Rehmat doing heavy jobs at other sites, is beautifully told. It is wonderful how Mr. Majidi always manages to convey deep feelings without the help of mundane dialogues. And he still manage to keep an attractive pace is really an important point of all Majidi movies. In Baran, we would also notice that he has used some kind of background scores only for 3 or 4 scenes. But still this movie does not look at all, like a pretending artistic one or like a documentary. In fact we may not notice anything at all other than Lateef and Rehmat. Brilliant direction. I dont remember seeing a love story in which the heroine doesnt have a single dialogue.

The last scene, where Lateef is sure that he is seeing Rehmat for the last time and runs in to help her pick the vegetables from the ground, is the real highlight of this film. For the first time, they have a lovely eye contact and the shot of their hands crossing each other, picking the vegetables, spoke a lot, much more than many love songs. Well it could be interpreted that way. But like Lateef, we too are not sure if Rehmat realises his love or loves him. For sure she must know that the Lateef, helping her pick up the vegetables, is a changed boy. I simply hope, she was damn sure about his love for her. But then, there is this shot of Rehmat pulling down her veil (of her Purdah), covering her face from Lateef. May be that is because she really realised there was something special about Lateef in that moment and felt shy and wanted to impress him. Culturally it is important for her to pull down the veil. So may be..

From the side of Lateef, may be it was a mistake he didnt express anything at all. As girls always pretend as they never knew, they want all to be told to them. As one, who had many untold loves, I really feel for Lateef.

But I have to say, it is Mohammad Amir Naji as Memar, who did the best performance in this movie. May be I am too much of a fan of this amazing actor. Lateef and Rehmat, they were all good, but Mr. Naji is the best.

Yet another simple and beautiful movie from Iran. 

Pedar - the father

1996 by Majid Majidi

Mehrollah's, a teenager, father gets killed while teaching him to ride a motor bike. To support his poor family, mother and 3 young sisters, Mehrollah goes to the nearby town to work. After long time, he is back to his village, with a bundle full of gifts for his mother and sisters. On arrival in his village, he is told by his friend Latif, that his mother had married a police man. Mehrollah is really affected by the news. He goes to the policeman's home, throws away his gift bundle and returns. Later he confronts his mother for the reason for this marriage. The mother confirms that there was no other way than to marry this gentle man, who also spend a lot of money when his sister got ill. Mehrollah however cannot accept the truth and he wants to teach the police man a lesson. When Mehrollah gets injured, the policeman takes him to his own home where the mother takes care of him. Back to normal health, Mehrollah steals the policeman's service revolver and elopes. His step father is mad and sets out in search of Mehrollah. He spots Mehrollah in the town, arrests him and proceeds back to the village, on his bike. Enroute, the bike doesnt work and they have to walk through the desert, a tedious journey which brings them closer.

I am not sure if any other country in the world makes so many simple, but beautiful, movies like Iran. Here is yet another simple story from Iran, told nicely.

Mehrollah's anger and madness at his step father and his love for his sisters are all so nicely told, but I am afraid it doesnt clarify the reason why he is so mad at the police man, inspite of being told that he is a nice man and he spend a lot of money for the treatment of his sister. The step father is also ready to accept Mehrollah as a son and even welcomes him to his home, but Mehrollah is really mad at this man. Is it because, he is not happy that his mother remarried without checking with him, or is it that he lost his place as the bread earner for his mother and sisters or is it simple jealousy, am afraid it is not clear.

There are more than a few very touching and funny scenes in this movie. Mehrollah's attempt to kidnap his sisters, his reunion with his sisters, his fight with his mother are all so well shot. So is his attempt to escape from his step father while they are on the bike. And their journey afterwards through the desert, till the end, is definitely brilliant. The way their feelings come out for each other, amidst games played by nature, I would say, is definitely the highlight of this movie. Mehrollah, in the beginning of the movie, had lost a photograph of him with his father in the stream. In the climax, just after he had pulled his step father to a stream, a family photo (his mother and sisters with the step father) falls out from the father and flows across to Mehrollah. This was quite poetic way of saying Mehrollah was accepting his new family.

Mehrollah is definitely the majore player here, but I was more impressed by the performance of the step father and the boy Latif. Latif acts like a stupid, hard working and suffering, boy who is like the mediator between Mehrollah and his mother and his innocence and naivity was quite nice to watch. The child actor did so well and they way he cried, when he is caught and put back in a bus by the polce man , was brilliant. So was his betrayal of Mehrollah during the kidnapping scene. Mohammed Kasebi as the policeman was also really good. The mother also had to do some really nice subtle expressions.

The movie also has some good bits of music and a simple, but excellent, cinematography.

This is still not as great as Children of Heaven or Song of Sparrows, but I liked Pedar very much. 

Avaze Gonjeshk-ha - The song of Sparrows

2008 by Majid Majidi

This is not a real comedy. But there are so many innocent & funny moments in this movie. A man who has just lost his job tries to earn in anyways he can for his family. He also has to buy a new hearing aid for his daughter before her exams. Even without any pre meditated plans he starts his own motor bike taxi, illegal, in the city. His travails are beautifully told, you cant help laughing and at the same time feel his pain. A heart touching tale of a father and his family.

For me this is a simple, but brilliant movie.  Exactly like Jaffer Panahi's 'Offside' this is another gem from Iran.