Iranian film ‘Baran’ screened at Lok Virsa

Islamabad

Script-Director: Majid Majidi

Lok Virsa film Club Mandwa screened Majid Majidi's Iranian film ‘Baran’ from 2002 on Saturday.

Director Majid Majidi began as a child actor on stage and continued to work on stage in direction. Still later, he went into films and came up films of international repute: ‘Rang-e-Khuda’ (Colour of Paradise), ‘Bacha hai Asman’ (Children of Heaven) and ‘Baran’. His new film came out this August based on the life of Holy Prophet Hazrat Mohammad (peace be upon him).

‘Baran’ came out in 2001-2 and won several awards at various international film festivals, including at Montreal, and was nominated for Oscar. ‘Baran’ takes us to the outskirts of Tehran where illegal Afghan and other refugees work on construction site as cheap labour and face wrath of establishment and labour inspection team. Almost 1.5 million Afghan refugees were living in Iran in 2000. This is the story of people who fled to Iran. It is the account of their deprivation and the miserable circumstances they lived through. While the characters show resentment for others, there is also affection, care and consideration. Everyone goes through hardship and suffering. ‘Baran’ has been admired for natural acting (which mean no theatrics). The realism is the essence here and at times it looks like a documentary. The actors perform honestly and Majid Majidi plants all elements with minute care and detail. The rough environment and indecent living conditions at the construction site are wrapped in with sacrifice, sympathy and plenty of generosity. As we move with these courageous people, we see emotional awakening and sensuality almost wordless glances. This is the account of people in disguise who go through other's world and fall in love without coming close to each other.

‘Baran’ does not bring colours or even rare glimpse of bright side of life but shows us a world which is grim and gray with plaster, cement, sand, dust and bricks and concrete. This in a way can be described as spiritual account and plight of refugees. Sanctuary filled with events touch you deep inside. A time comes when anger and jealousy turns into compassion. Enemy can be transferred into friendship. That is the message to be remembered from ‘Baran’.

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