Baran (2001): In a building site in present-day Tehran, Lateef, a 17-year-old Turkish worker is irresistibly drawn to Rahmat, a young Afghan worker. The revelation of Rahmat's secret changes both their lives. (7.6)
Director: Majid Majidi
Writer: Majid Majidi
Stars: Hossein Abedini, Zahra Bahrami, Mohammad Amir Naji
Language: Persian (w/ English subtitles)
A simple story about the struggles of immigrant workers in Tehran. Their troubles are exacerbated by the cultural norms and the society's general perception towards immigrants, refugees and women. Okay, for me, the story was too simple. The main character, around which the movie is made, does not speak and does not display a commanding presence on the screen. The seemingly over-the-top generous young man is just that. Perhaps, I am missing a huge deal with their (Iranians, Turks, and Afghans) culture and religion, but the characters seem to be a bit two dimensional. Yeah, people struggle for a living. Tell me a story where those who are oppressed not just by the situation of their lives but by the culture and unwritten rules try to break out of the shackles and try to get on the next step. Sorry, I didn't see a whole lot in this storytelling that impressed me other than "these poor immigrants and refugees are in a tough spot." It had a bit of documentary style to it. There were a few glimpses of scenes where we got to see how nice the scenery could have been, but I think they missed the plot a bit there. My Rating: 6.0
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