Set against the harsh reality of the desert of southern Iran, From the Land of Silence is a stunningly beautiful film of two young brothers eking out their solitary existences against an inhospitable, unforgiving landscape. All but abandoned by their truck-driving father, they have each found questionable but successful ways to survive. Struggling every day merely to stay alive, they encounter a man actively running away from life, returning to the desert on a quest to negate his previous life. From this meeting, each of them has something to impart to the others; each has something to learn.

This gorgeously photographed, highly poetic film by director Saman Salur (The Wind Will Comb Your Tresses, Cinequest 2003, Special Jury Award: Best Cinematography in a Short Film), with its expression of desolation, space, quiet and acceptance all embodied in the landscape of the unforgiving desert, its empty roads seemingly going from nowhere to nowhere, hearkens back to such masterpieces of Iranian cinema as Amir Naderi?s unforgettable Water, Wind, Sand and The Runner. The tiny determined figures of the boys against the grandeur of the rocky, arid landscape are memorable reminders of the persistence of life, while the poetic realism of the film reminds us why we go to see films.

Charlie Cockey

MAVERICK COMPETITION