Iranian movie: ‘Kissing the Moon’

Film with warmth of friendship

By Aijaz Gul

Islamabad :

Writer-Director: Homayoun Assadian

As we find ourselves in the middle of moments beyond words and description, Lok Vira Mandwa Film Club screened ‘Kissing the Moon’-like ‘Face from Iran’ on Saturday

Only rarely you have a film with strength of friendship with loss of life and tragedy playing in the background.

Directed and scripted by Homayoun Assadian in 2012, this is a film which largely revolves around two friends.

Here we have two women- two relatives- two neighbors-two friends whose relationship has flourished and lasted and remained intact for more than forty years. They both wait for the remains of their sons who were martyred 20 years back in senseless Iran-Iraq War. Time inflicts more torture. One of these friends is terminally ill and just a short limited life to be around. The remains of one of the boys have been recovered and identified. It is time for one of the two women to give the final sacrifice, notwithstanding distortion of fact. The director brings us to tragic and tender moment with strong elements of melodrama filled with warmth and pathos.

Final tragedy aside, the main theme is waiting to know about the fate of two soldiers who went to wasteful war in the eighties. Passage of years of their missing has neither diminished nor dissolved the pain. The world moves on right before the eyes of two mothers but suffering, grief and anguish exists. And then time comes to pay homage to generosity of friendship and to overcome the emotional moments. ‘Kissing the Moon’ then becomes account of those emotional moments at cross-roads of life when one of your dear ones is gone and the other one about to depart. These are scars of war and loss of friendship. As we pass through mixed moments of tragedy and heroism today, ‘Kissing the Moon’ reminds us of warmth of true friendship stretched over decades.

— aijazzgul@gmail.com