By Meysam Pourjafari
The film begins with the sound of a song over images of frozen paths, as if inviting the audience on a journey, and the inner voices of the characters laid over the gazes of the refugees looking at us. The film narrates the journey of a group of refugees midway through their path, revealing aspects of this journey that are new to the audience and at the same time very distressing. Every effort is made to keep the film simple and observational, aligning with cinéma vérité and direct cinema styles. In its simplicity, the film succeeds in its goal, depicting an aspect of refugee life that, despite numerous films on the subject, has either been overlooked or not explored in such depth.
The director, without ostentation, has endeavored to show all facets of the subject and to be the inner voice of characters who have none. The inner voices of characters who have neither a way forward nor a way back, with hopes turned into despair, make the film a slice of life in its most dramatic form. Importantly, the film delves deeply; in other words, the narrative arc is short, but the film passes this test with flying colors. The work progresses to the point where people gamble with their lives, and the film delivers its final blow. We return to the beginning and to the paths that now have travelers we are worried about.
The film’s gift is that while it ends, it does not conclude for us. We want to know what has become of the film’s characters and we are deeply concerned for them.
