An expansive, three-act observation of Afghan refugees struggling to make their lives under the oppressive discrimination in Iran, In the Land of Brothers is an assured dramatic debut from filmmakers Raha Amirfazli and Alireza Ghasemi. Bolstered by an impressive cast playing across time-jumps, In the Land of Brothers’ entrancing script and evocative settings sweep you up in the tragic yet steely vignettes. As the stories connect across themes and families, building to a cathartic climax, the resoundingly tragic and consuming humanism is woven with enough subtlety to avoid melodrama. A brutal, beautiful depiction of life persevering against bigotry, filmed with a painterly eye and a compassionate heart.
The interlocked stories of Mohammad (Mohammad Hosseini), his crush Leila (Hamideh Jafari) and her older brother Qasem (Bashir Nikzad) play out across decades, allowing each performer the spotlight as they deal with a specific incident of second-class (non)citizenship. Each scenario is immediate and vital thanks not only to sharp, observational writing from Amirfazli and Ghasemi, but through the choices of setting. Evocative, colorful locations—ranging from a snowy Bojnord school to a greenhouse’s steamy rows of tomatoes to the two-story Bandar Anzali beachhouse of a rich Iranian family—represent the diversity of the country, itself housing a diversity of experience that its native-born residents exploit rather than appreciate.
As we wind up the wintery roads after Mohammad is plucked from school by a predatory police force, as we zoom out to view the deeply segregated vacation villa where Leila later works as a domestic, as we climb the hilly streets of Karaj with Qasem, we are transported. These skillful environmental choices, framed with rich and vibrant realism, directly lead into the script’s strongly sketched incidents, which define each of In the Land of Brothers’ three acts.
As the characters are each backed into corners by their tenuous position in their new country, we’re already on edge. Some deal with death, others with violence. All have the unspoken undercurrent of insecurity. One wrong move, and you’re gone. But their problems—as dire as they are—pressure them with the subtle, undeniable power of an entire culture. Their options whittle away while we barely realize what’s happening. When they each reach the point of no return, where confrontation is inevitable, we’re as surprised and resigned as they are.
This wouldn’t be possible without exceptional performances. Amirfazli and Ghasemi coax quiet desperation from both Hosseini and Jafari—allowing them a brief moment of warmth when they’re alone together in one of the film’s best scenes—but it’s Nikzad who steals the film. Leading In the Land of Brothers’ final segment, Qasem’s crushing family conundrum puts him in a tricky spot with his wife Hanieh (Marjan Khaleghi), who is deaf. Through a heartbreaking performance alternatingly clever and despondent, Nikzad rages and protects through the concealment and revelation of information at key moments. Since we know the whole story, it’s even more plain to see the full extent of the pain etched into Nikzad’s face. Despite the heavy subject matter, only a few moments skew into melodrama. The rest only ever feels honest; terrible prices dutifully paid.
The connection between the three stories of In the Land of Brothers are loose and distant enough that they’re able to track changes not only to a single family’s fortunes, but to the shifting attitude of a nation. Nowhere is still like it was in 2001, though everywhere still bears the baggage it piles on, year after year. Iran may be changing, slowly, but In the Land of Brothers’ microscope observes the cost of change, exacted upon those most desperate for it. Addressing this broadly across time and space finds truth in the tragedy, and announces a whole host of talent to keep watching.
Director: Raha Amirfazli, Alireza Ghasemi
Writer: Raha Amirfazli, Alireza Ghasemi
Starring: Hamideh Jafari, Bashir Nikzad, Mohammad Hosseini
Release Date: January 19, 2024 (Sundance)
Jacob Oller is Movies Editor at Paste Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter at @jacoboller.
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