Baran

Majid Majidi's film, set on a building site in Tehran. Latif is a young man who serves tea and prepares food there. Afghan refugees are taken on as well; they work off the books and have to hide when inspectors come. One day the son of an injured worker arrives: Rahmat. The boy is slight and cannot do heavy work, so Latif's job is given to him. Latif is angry at first and makes trouble for the boy. Then he notices something: Rahmat is a girl, working in disguise to support her family. From the moment he learns it his behaviour changes entirely. At the centre is a bond that is almost never spoken. The two barely talk to each other to the end of the film; the narrative proceeds through looks, small gestures and things done without return. In the background is the situation of Afghan refugees in Iran: no work permits, the constant threat of deportation, undocumented labour. The director closes the film not with an explanation but with a single image. One of Majidi's strongest works for anyone who likes Iranian cinema and sparse storytelling. For a viewer wanting incident, the film is built almost entirely on waiting, watching and silence.