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In the Land of Brothers

Raha Amirfazli
festival
Sat 26 Apr 25 - Sun 4 May 25
  • Content rating: Caution with children up to 12 years of age

A debuting director duo tells a nuanced and empathetic story about abuse of power, poverty, and uncertainty, but also about the resilience and loyalty of Afghan refugees in Iran.

In Iran, there are over five million refugees from Afghanistan. The Iranians encouragingly refer to them as 'brothers', but the reality is far less warm. First, there is Mohamed, a teenager who excels in school and is in love with Leila. Then we see Leila, ten years later, working for a wealthy family. The final chapter follows Leila's brother, trying to protect his wife from devastating news.

It is clearly a film that focuses on its characters. Each of the three characters is approached with equal empathy. The non-professional actors bring their pain to life with their beautiful performances, full of depth and subtle expression. Together, they embody resilience and the spirit of survival. The three stories are told simply, without sentimental or stylistic embellishments. It is this silence and restraint that give the film its human depth.

direction
Raha Amirfazli
cast
Hamideh Jafari, Bashir Nikzad, Mohammad Hosseini
duration
95 min
year
2024
country
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
language
Persian
Subtitles
Dutch
  • Content rating: Caution with children up to 12 years of age

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Raha Amirfazli

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"Warmbloedig én realistisch."- de Volkskrant

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