Acclaimed director Abolfazl Jalili offers a compassionate story of the young Afghan refugee who lives illegally in Iran. 14-year-old Kaim drifts to the Delbaran crossing on the Afghan-Iran border, where he finds work at a coffee shop frequented by truck drivers. He feels at home in this small oasis of friendliness, though the sounds of war can be heard in the background, violent bandits prowl the roads, and opium is everywhere. As we watch Kaim run from one task to another day after day, we soon realize that we are watching a boy who is being cheated out of his childhood.
Direction
Jalili's patient, documentary-like observation never exploits.
Acting
Alizadeh's wordless presence carries the entire film.
Director
Abolfazl Jalili
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Shot at an actual border crossing with non-professional actors, many refugees themselves — the location is a character.
Jalili was banned from filmmaking in Iran for years; this smuggled humanity onto screens that rarely acknowledge Afghan lives.
IR
