Cinema Derive - BASHU, THE LITTLE STRANGER 1989
Line up: Susan Taslimi, Parviz Poorhosseini, Adnan Afravian

BASHU, THE LITTLE STRANGER  1989 
(Bashu, gharibeye koochak,  باشو غریبه کوچک)
Directed by Bahram Beyzai
121 minutes
Persian and Arabic, with English subtitles

Here is a movie from Iran which helps give us deeper insights than all the statistics and the headlines we receive, which are always, in the end, abstract. Crafted by Iranian director Bahram Beyzai (Stranger and the Fog) who conjured up his own style of cinema, weaving together illuminating imagery and music. His films are dramas, but often have a surreal edge to them, as if we're entering territory we are unfamiliar with. His movies are often also about strangers, the people on the edge of society. 

This flick focuses on Bashu, a child from an Arabic community within Iran. At the very beginning of the movie young Bashu witnesses the Iraq bombing of his home and death of his entire family during the Iran-Iraq War. With all ties broken, he runs into the landscape towards the northern part of Iran. The main story kicks in when a woman finds him and tries to care for Bashu who is almost like a wild animal afraid of human contact. The film is about her coaxing him in, even though they can't speak the same language along with the fact that Bashu is psychologically damaged. 

There are so many themes touched upon in this journey. First and foremost it's about the victims of war of course, which is especially pertinent to what's happening today. Also, director Bahram Beyzai often places strong independent women at the centre of his films, marginalised figures who go against the grain, follow their own instincts instead of traditional customs, and pursue their own vision. In this tale, actress Susan Taslimi portrays the resilient woman who refuses to obey the class and race divisions within her community and it's her performance that lies at the heart of the film and makes it radiate. 

As one viewer said: "او، مثل همه‌ى بچه‌ها، فرزند آفتاب و زمين است."