Reviews

This is a fantastic indie film, with intriguing characters, thanks to some amazing writing/directing from Brandon Willer, and some great performances from him and the other 2 co-stars. Shot in stylistic white & black, with very basic locations, one is allowed to focus on the story and really get to know these characters. One of the best films I've seen at Cinequest, and was very very pleased to see the producers uploaded it to YouTube as I was bummed to not be able to find a streaming link for it on Amazon, Netflix or onDemand. This is a great film. Kudos to Brandon and co. for making it. THis is the type of film I could watch again after a year or 2 of not having seen it, the story is touching, and the production values are suitable for the story it conveys.

First-Time director Saeid Roustayi captures Iranian culture, the current poverty epidemic that everyday Iranians face from a realistic standpoint. The performances, story and cinematography all allow us a realistic glimpse into this family, whose dealing with many issues. The film touches on a lot of Iranian taboos and cultural fallbacks on a surface level, and delves deep into others. The family business is struggling, one brother is addicted (solid performance from Navid Mohammadzadeh), another sister doesn't marry (big deal in iranian culture), one is divorced, and another plans to be married off to supposedly wealthy Afghan. The main character, portrayed brilliantly by Peyman Moaadi struggles to make wise business and family decisions, and it becomes taxing.

For fans of Iran's realist movement should watch this. I felt like this accurately captured Iranian culture, while also posing vital questions about the situations.