水、风、土

Thisisanunusualfilmofexceptionalvalues--75minuteslongincolor,withhardlyanyspokendialogs.IsawthisIranianfilminFarsiwithoutEnglishsubtitlesattheEarlyIraniancinemaretrospectiveon-goingInternationalFilmFestivalofKerala,India.ThatIwaswatchingaprintwithoutsubtitlesdidnotmakeadifferenceastherewereveryfewlinesofspokendialogs.　　Thisisaveryaccessiblefilmforanyaudiencetoenjoy--itsstoryandvaluesarenotmerelyIranian,it'suniversal.　　ThefilmissetinruralIranthathadnottastedpetro-dollarprosperity.Thesettingisonfringesofdesertland,wherewaterisscarce,rainfallscantyandhardlyanybladeofgrassisgreen.Addtoitwindanddustthatbuffetsandwhipsmanandanimalandyoucanimagineplightofthepeoplewholiveonthefringesofsociety.　　Thefilmismovingtaleofayoungteenagerreturningtohisvillagewithagoat--onlytofindhisfamilyandvillagershavemovedontoescapenaturesvagariesandthatoneoldmanremains.Hegivesthegoattohimandgoesinsearchofhisfamily.Waterisscarceandwellwaterittreatedwithreverenceandneverwasted.