This is another iconic pre revolution film. The story line was similar to Get Carter, except that the avenger’s sister was raped and killed. although Iranian commercial cinema was low budget and sometimes exploitational, this particular film was shot beautifully, it had a gripping script and was well acted. Themes of revenge for the sake of loved ones and the Shiite religious influence of killing for honour was very common in Iranian cinema, specially when the main character forsakes a future with a woman he loves to avenge his sister’s rapist then masculine protective values are put above anything else. Unfortunately in the Iranian society this attitude goes beyond fiction and cinema so this means that the mentality of men in such a society can easily be put into some sort of tunnel vision and exploited and at it’s extreme end it is difficult to maintain a lawful society. Iranian Clergy specially are a great manipulators of this behaviour amongst the more traditional religious factions.
Dad falling sleep watching TV
My Dad is 82 now. On the inside he is still like a teenager or at least he has been like that for most of his life, but as he’s become older he has regressed to even a younger age and he is like a five year old. He was with us over the weekend. The weekend incidentally was the Iranian New year which starts with the spring equinox. It is called Norouz which literary means a new day. When a parent gets that old and you love them then every day that you have the pleasure of having them around is a new day you should cherish.
I did this drawing of him a month ago as he was falling into a nap as he was watching TV with us. On Saturday we were looking for a shop that would sell walking sticks, he was saying I can’t move my leg very well, then I explained to him that his walking stick had bent a little and the tip had gone in making it shorter which is why it is effecting him. i took him down the pub that night and with my daughter being 16 and legally allowed to drink cider we had three generation of Torks drinking away. It was a first.
