Khaaneh
Afsaneh Salari
Iran, Philippines | 2020 | 79 min
World premiere
Language : Persian
Subtitles : English, French
In 1982, when the Russian invasion of Afghanistan was at its peak, more than 1.5 million Afghans were forced to move to Iran looking for a new life. Taghi, born in Iran, wants to escape the ruthless discriminations Iranian society hands out for Afghans on a daily basis : he does not consider himself a refugee. Against all odds, he decides to move to Afghanistan. But unexpected challenges wait there for him. The aftermath of an unending war and always new sectarian conflicts that threaten the population and have since killed hundreds of thousands of innocent people show no sign of relenting their grip. With an extraordinary deal of nuance and sensitivity, Afsaneh Salari’s film documents Taghi’s inner turmoil, torn between an impossible choice: his desire to live in the country of his ancestors in order to build a better future for the next generations and the need to look for a better life and stay alive. Whatever choice he will take, it will not be an easy one.
Giona A. Nazzaro
