Iranian director Majid Majidi's latest film, Baran, shows humor and warmth in the midst of intense hardship - the grueling work of immigrant workers. Since the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979, more than 1 million Afghans have moved to Iran. These immigrants are often illegal and have trouble supporting their families. In addition, second-generation Afghan children born in Iran find themselves in a world of conflicted identity.
In Baran, Majidi shows the interactions between Iranians and the immigrants and the rifts that emerge between people of the two groups. While it is impossible to ignore the underlying issues presented in the film regarding the treatment of Afghan immigrants and the politics of the situation, the film is really more about a young man's personal transformation.
Baran opens as Lateef, a 17-year-old Iranian man (Hossein Abedini), does his daily chore of buying flatbread. Although he works on the construction site with many Afghan and Iranian laborers (the prominent setting for the film), he is not required to perform the backbreaking tasks that the other men must do. Instead, Lateef is responsible for fetching groceries, cleaning, and serving tea.
Most of the workers on the site are Afghan. However, the Iranians have rank over the Afghans, even while doing the same job. One Afghan worker notices, "Iranian workers are more important than Afghan workers." To this, Memar, the foreman (Mohammad Amir Naji), replies, "But Afghan's work more - and for less." This early exchange between the two men sets the tone for the film. Money is a huge concern for the workers, both Afghan and Iranian.
Although it is commonly accepted to employ illegal immigrants, it is against the law. The Afghan workers, as well as Memar, are in constant fear of random inspections by the government. Being discovered would mean hefty fines for Memar and even worse for the immigrants.
Shortly after the film begins, Lateef returns to the construction site just after one worker, Najaf (Gholam Ali Bakhshi), falls and breaks his leg - destroying his ability to support his family. The day after the accident, Najaf's friend Soltan (Abbas Rahimi) who also works on the site, brings Najaf's son, Rahmat, to ask for work. At first Memar is reluctant to give the young boy a job, but he finally gives in, knowing that the family is in dire need of money.
Rahmat is given the task of moving sacks of dry concrete around the construction site, but he is unable to lift the bags. Memar sees that Rahmat is not fit to work and threatens to fire him. Meanwhile, Lateef becomes a little too comfortable with his relatively easy job. He gets into a fight with one of the workers - a continual occurrence during the film - and Memar refuses to take any more of his antics. He gives Lateef's job to Rahmat and places Lateef under another foreman's watch as a laborer.
It is at this point in Baran that the real substance of the film begins to come out. Lateef is very immature. It is understandable for him to show contempt for Rahmat, but he takes it to an extreme. Lateef plots ways to disrupt Rahmat's work and to cause him embarrassment.
However, Lateef grows as a person when he comes to the greatest realization of the film. In a beautifully photographed sequence, Lateef discovers that Rahmat is not Najaf's son, but instead his daughter, Baran (Zahra Bahrami). Majidi combines a shot of Baran without her disguise with low, rumbling music to affect the audience similar to the way Lateef is stricken by his discovery. One drawback, however, is that the audience suspects Baran's true identity much earlier in the film. While the audience is not exactly shocked, there is a great effect felt through Lateef's emotion. He falls in love at first sight. Only after this transformation does the plot truly unravel and pick up.
From this point on, Lateef's demeanor changes. Although he does not let anyone else know who Baran really is, he acts differently toward her than before. Lateef becomes mesmerized by this young Afghan girl. Majidi illustrates Lateef's true love for her in two short sequences. In the first, we see Baran feeding the birds on the roof of the building. It is a magical moment, and this shot returns later in the film when Lateef feeds the birds in Baran's place.
Lateef's transformation continues until the end of the film, where all his efforts to become closer to Baran - though he keeps his distance - come to fruition.
Surprisingly, the film is not dialogue-heavy. Instead, Majidi chose to fill in the gaps with the sounds of nature and thought-provoking shots. There are several times during the film when it is possible to almost read the minds of the characters, particularly Lateef, simply based on their facial expressions and movements. This prevents the film from becoming boring, despite the lack of action.
Baran is laced with humor, but its drama outweighs its comedy. This is understandable, considering the recurring themes of poverty, struggle, and racial conflict. The film remains heartwarming, however, and this is the result of Lateef's great turnaround. Although his transformation occurs immediately after his discovery, by the end of the film the audience can see how his character has deepened. Despite the film's flaws, the powerful development of Lateef's character leaves the audience satisfied.
