After watching this film all I could ponder about was the darkness that humanity holds and how cruel and inhuman can “humans” be, this goes to show how perfectly knitted is this work and how writer/director “Maryam Chekoofi” was able to deliver an extremely powerful message that sheds light on child abuse and its traumatizing consequences.
The silence in the screenplay was so loud that it replaced a thousand words; the storyline progresses in a way that transports the viewers into the intimacy of each and every scene making them live the suffering and distress felt by the characters, this is not something that is to be taken lightly since dealing with such a sensitive topic is never an easy task. Acting wise, a breathtaking performance by all main actors especially the combination of “Sabery” and “Zare” who completed each other in every way, from their facial expressions to their body language they propelled the work into an even higher level of attainment.
Technically, it is obvious that “Chekoofi” knew what needed to be done in order to succeeded in such a task and did it in an almost perfect manner; this reflects her mature understanding of the language of film and professional cinematography, from her choice of angles and shots (close ups when she wanted to suffocate the viewers to the extreme long shots when distance and loneliness was needed) to the low light and dim moods that made it all more eerie. The editing was also inspiring especially with the dissolves that are used to reveal the truth of that “monster” who in turn was a victim of sexual abuse when he was a kid. The choice of music was also convenient in a sense that it was not their to force emotions but rather to enhance it and make it all the more realistic.
In the end, this film is a wake up call to the fact that sexual abuse is very dangerous and can lead to dire consequences it also makes us think about how a victim of such behavior can in turn become an offender and the ultimate question remains; who is to blame? As for writer/director “Chekoofi” she proved herself to be a real professional for all the reasons stated above and more, we will be definitely on the look out for any of her future work in hopes that she continues to deliver such art.
N.Khouri Ph.D
Monthly Indie Shorts
About Maryam
I`m Maryam chekoofi
I live in Iran and was born in Isfahan.
I have a Master’s degree in Directing and a Bachelor’s degree in Cinema Screen Play Writing from Sepehr Isfahan University.
I’m an independent filmmaker. My focus is mainly on issues regarding the society, children, women and it’s effects on them.
I have made one documentary about folklore in Iran and 4 short films, which have Official Selectionin (fillum international storical and short film FISSF) in Massachusetts, USA, and also in (Lift-Off Online Sessions) in London and i get honorable mentions in sequiff festival.I’ve also been a referee in two Iranian festivals, the MehrSalamat festival and the International Children’s Festival.
