iFilm’s new feature film ‘Baran’ has been scheduled to go on air on May 29, 2021.
Majid Majidi’s award-winning movie tells the story of Afghan refugees living in Iran.
It revolves around Latif, a construction site worker who serves food for his colleagues, and Rahmat, a young boy who comes to the site to substitute for his father as a laborer.
When the foreman at the site decides to switch the jobs between Rahmat and Latif, things get ugly.
But Latif soon finds out a secret Rahmat has been keeping, and instead decides to do some good for a change.
The movie cast list is comprised of Hossein Mahjoub, Reza Naji, Hossein Abedini, Zahra Bahrami, Hossein Rahimi, and Gholam-Hossein Bakhshi.
Majidi’s masterpiece has been the recipient of several national and international awards, including Grand Prix of the Americas Award for Best Film at the Montreal World Film Festival, Best Screenplay and Best Director awards at the Gijón International Film Festival, Oecumenical Special Award for Best Film at the Montreal World Film Festival, as well as Best Film and Best Director awards at the 19th Fajr International Film Festival.
‘Baran’, made in 2001, is scheduled to go on air at 22:00 GMT (03:30 Tehran time).
iFilm English TV will also repeat the movie the next day at 04:00, 10:00 and 16:00 (all GMT times).
A comprehensive synopsis on the movie reads, (Spoiler Alert!) “It is winter in Tehran. Latif is 17. He works at a construction site managed by Memar. Latif prepares and serve tea and food for the workers with whom he frequently quarrels. They come from throughout Iran. Some are refugees from Afghanistan. They have no identity cards and are employed illegally. When labor inspectors arrive, they must hide. An Afghan worker, Najaf, falls, breaks his leg and is taken to hospital. Soltan, another Afghani, brings in Rahmat, Najaf's son, who is around 14 years old, to replace him. Memar soon realizes that Rahmat is too young and switches the jobs of Rahmat and Latif. Latif is furious, threatens Rahmat, tries to sabotage his work, and spies on him.
One day, he is shocked to discover that Rahmat is a girl. As he watches her comb her hair, he becomes disoriented and hears strange sounds. His attitude changes; he becomes protective, helpful and desperately in love. While Rahmat does not express herself, over time she seems to respond. During a surprise visit of the inspectors, they encounter Rahmat. She panics and flees, and they pursue her. Latif restrains the inspectors, allowing Rahmat to escape. Latif is beaten and arrested. Memar must pay a fine, comply with the law, and lay off all the illegal ones.
Latif can't bear Rahmat's absence, and seeks Soltan for news. He goes to where the Afghans live, walks around, meets an enigmatic cobbler, and ends up in the courtyard of a shrine near a graveyard where Afghanis are gathered for a milk ceremony. He inquires about Soltan, but gets no clues. Among the Afghans stands Rahmat in female clothing. She sees Latif, stares at him, and then leaves. Latif is not aware of her. The next day, he finds Soltan, and learns that Rahmat works near the river. Latif rushes there to find Rahmat working unhappily with other women carrying heavy stones. He is distressed, and wants to find a way to help her. He obtains his wages and hands them to Soltan to pass them to Najaf. They agree to meet the next day at the shrine. Instead of Soltan, Najaf shows up to inform Latif that Soltan has gone to Afghanistan. He tells Latif that Soltan came to him and offered him money he'd borrowed from someone but he refused it and advised Soltan to use it to leave for Afghanistan where he had a serious family issue.
The next day Latif he overhears that Najaf is also faced with family problems in Afghanistan, as his brother has been killed. He hears Rahmat's real name is Baran. Latif goes to find an exhausted Baran carrying logs. The next morning, Najaf is at the construction site begging Memar unsuccessfully for a loan. Latif sells the only valuable thing he has, his identity card. When he brings the money, Latif learns that Najaf and his family will use it to return to Afghanistan. Latif is overwhelmed and finds refuge in the shrine. There, he hears the same sounds he heard when he first saw Baran. He accepts his fate.
The next day, while helping Najaf to load a truck with household effects, Latif is finally face-to-face with Baran. Through eye contact and proximity, they exchange their feelings of love. As Baran covers herself and walks to the truck, her shoe gets stuck. Latif takes her shoe out of the mud, and hands it to her. The truck takes Baran away. Alone, Latif stares at the footstep in the mud, and smiles while the rain covers it.”
MG/MG
