In the Land of Brothers
After 9/11, the Americans invaded Afghanistan. This caused a huge influx of refugees; 5 million Afghans landed in neighbouring Iran alone, who speak of Iran as the 'land of brothers'. Were these refugees indeed welcomed as brothers? Debuting Iranian directors Raha Amirfalzi and Alireza Ghasam show it in this impressive drama, triptych spanning 20 years about fugitive family members Mohammad, his niece Leila and her elder brother Qasem.
Winter 2001: teenager Mohammad and his family live in the Iranian city of Bojnourd. At home he is surrounded with love, but on the streets he is harassed by the police. One day, he is arrested. Ten years later: Leila, now happily married, works for a well-to-do family in Bandar-e Anzali. Then disaster strikes. In 2021, everything finally seems to have fallen into place for Qasem, his deaf wife Hanie and their daughter Maryam. But then they get bad news about their son Hamed, who is abroad.
