HEIRAN

Iran, 2009, 88 minutes. Colour.
Directed by Shalizeh Arefpoor.

Heiran is the first film from the writer-director. It focuses on two young people, in the Iranian countryside, falling in love. They are teenagers, he a refugee from Afghanistan, she a young girl from the countryside. The father of the family strongly disapproves of their relationship. However, they decide to go to the city together and try to survive there. They marry, she becomes pregnant. He has a number of jobs but has had to sacrifice his working permit to repay debts. He moves from job to job, suffering in health, especially from working in a chicken farm. Eventually, he disappears.

The disapproving father comes to the city as does the girl’s grandfather. She gives birth to a boy. They decide to take her back home. Instead, she goes to the Afghan border, trying to get through but has no documents. When some buses with refugees being returned to Afghanistan leave, she sees Heiran in the bus. He sees the child – and she is left alone with the baby. There is a postscript with a sad image and a sad song.

The film shows problems of Afghan refugees not only in First World countries but also in neighbouring Iran. Other films on this theme include Majid Majidi’s Baran.

1. An Iranian film for an Iranian audience? For Afghans? Impact for world audiences?

2. The realism of the Iranian countryside, villages, the city of Tehran, the ambience, the streets, the poor dwellings, workplaces? Authentic feel? Musical score?

3. The title, the focus on Heiran? His being an Afghan refugee? His age, experience? In the countryside? His hopes for study? His permits, his bonds, financial situation?

4. Mahi, teenager, in the countryside, her ambitions? Her place in her family? The different generations?

5. The two falling in love? Teenage love? The effect on each of them? Mahi and her family, her father and his anger, his imposing his will? The grandfather and his concern? The mother? Her understanding? The younger members of the family?

6. Mahi and Heiran and their courting? Together, joy? The various incidents? Growing in love? The decision to leave?

7. The journey to Tehran? The disapproval of the family? Finding a place to stay, relatives and friends?

8. Heiran and his jobs, the hard work, the authorities and their raiding, looking for illegal migrants? His being rounded up? Accosted in the street and running away? The problem of his permit, its being taken, the repayments? The job in the chicken farm? Hard work? The chicken pox? Mahi and her treating him? His hopes for other jobs, thinking he would have to move away? His disappearance?

9. Mahi, her love for Heiran? Supporting him, the work in the city? His illness? Her pregnancy? His concern? Her response to his disappearance?

10. The visit of her grandfather? Giving birth? Her father’s arrival, his concern? His deciding to look for Heiran, recognising him as his son-in-law?

11. Mahi and preparing to go home? Packing up? Her running away? The bus to the border? Her documents and their not being valid? Documents for the baby? The response of the border guards? Her staying at the border with the baby?

12. The buses arriving, the glimpse of Heiran, his seeing the baby, kissing through the window? His being taken away? Mahi and her being stranded at the border? A future?

13. The importance and symbolism of the song, the final images?