Movie Description:
Winner of the Camera D`or at the Cannes Film Festival and announced Iranian director BahmanGhobadi as a major talent.His debut follows the heart-wrenching drama of a Kurdish family living on the Iran-Iraqborder. The onlywork available in this poverty-stricken locale is to smuggle goods betweenthe countries, through hills stalked by armed bandits. These dangers rob Ayoub, Amaneh, Rojin and the developmentally disabled Madi of their parents, and theyare forced to fend for themselves. Ayoubis the eldest boy, and soon starts making the perilous overland journeys himself, desperate to raise money forMadi`s life-saving operation. Surviving the snowy valleys and marauding thieves does not bring in enough money, and their uncle sets up an arranged marriagefor Rojin, threatening to splitup the close-knit siblings. Haunting performances bythe non-professional child actors convey a devastatingportrait of Kurdish life on themargins of Iranian society.
