Released in: 2007 Length: 75 minutes Warning: Rated NR: adult themes; brief violence Language: Persian (with English subtitles) Categories: Boy Films, Adolescent, Drama, Orphans & Street Kids

$5.00 $39.95

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Description

A poignant yet understated film which focuses on the everyday hardships of an isolated Iranian community on the border with Afghanistan. Delbaran centres on the story of a 14-year Afghan refugee (Kaim Alizadeh) working in a truck stop in the 'town' which gives its name to the film. An unusual film because of its very little dialogue and offers nothing by way of explanation of the wider context of war and cross-border migration which forms the backdrop to the events that are portrayed.

The characters in the film are all too aware of the conflict and the sounds of automatic weapons are always within earshot, but they are so much an accepted part of their lives that they feel no need to comment on them. And that is one of the strengths of the film that makes it so compelling a portrait of life in this remote community.

The film has a distinctive look and feel, with an emphasis on images, movement and sound. A recurring image is of three or even four men riding a single motorbike back and forth along a dusty mountain road. An especially poignant moment in a film in which the hardships of life mean that the characters hardly ever show great emotion, is when the central character of the 14-year old boy, Kaim, is offered medical help for an ear infection: his smile lights up the screen at this small act of human kindness.

Double Feature Recommendation: The Color of Paradise

DVD Features:
Format: Widescreen
Audio: Digital Stereo
Extras: Scene Selection

The Quality on this film is rated... Our Rating Chart
EXCELLENT: 10 out of 10
EXCELLENT: 9 out of 10
VHS VERY GOOD: 8 out of 10
VHS FAIR: 6 / 7 out of 10
VHS POOR: 5 or below, out of 10

Cast & Crew

Kaim Alizadeh	. . . . .	Kaim
Rahmatollah Ebrahimi	. . . . .	Khan
Hossein Hashemian	. . . . .	Hossein
Ahmad Mahdavi	. . . . .	Police officer