Between Revolutions

I caught the movie at a local film festival. My slight disappointment was that it isn't a true story, but rather a composite story pieced together from shards of reality. The poetry used as a backdrop (both Farsi & Romanian) and the editing was very powerful and for me made the movie into a great thriller-documentary (although strictly speaking it is a work of fiction).

The movie aims to capture the fervor and hopes that fueled the two revolutions (in '79 Iran, then in '89 Romania) and draws parallels between the two through the eyes of two friends. The use of archive footage interweaved with bits of the storytelling lead the viewer to walk along - and think about - the events of that era, the political forces at play, and the human experiences.

At times, the English subtitles were missing - for example when the soundtrack was Farsi or Romanian poetry. That editorial decision I felt diminished the viewing experience a bit.

I saw the movie at the movie festival in Montreal, and stayed after for the discussion with the director. A thoughtful director of a powerful movie. The movie is a work of love and respect for women in repressive societies, but also more than that. The movie is structured around reading the letters (reminding me of Chantal Akerman's movie, Letters from home) wrote to each other between 2 women, one Romanian, the other Iranian, read on the background of social political events in both countries, mirroring each other's stolen dreams and revolutions. The story is constructed in the imagination of audience, an intimate powerful homage to women, their power, voice and inner force, who, even if repressed, are not victims in their inner worlds.

I randomly bought tickets for this movie at my local film festival and I was totally caught off guard. The storytelling, the carefully chosen archival videos, the edting. They all manage to transport you into the character's experinces, thoughts and feelings. I would love to be able to see it again someday.

The tension that it builds up through the music is also very good. I remember that while watching the movie I kept holding my breath as I was waiting for the story to be revealed in front of my eyes.

A lot is left for the imagination. The characters cannot be seen, however the collage and the voices are so good that I think that an actual face is not needed. It makes the raw emotion universal, making this film a more cathartic experince.