The narrative structure laid out in the new film In the Land of Brothers will remind you of the one from fellow Sundance drama All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt. The story spans three generations of Afghan women over twenty years. During the American invasion of Afghanistan, their family became refugees in Iran. The group is not nuclear but extended. Iran has become a hotbed for refugees because it has one of the largest Afghan populations in the world.
Under the direction of Raha Amirfazli and Alireza Ghasemi, In the Land of Brothers suggests that Iran opens its arms to displaced populations under an umbrella of love. Still, the reality deals with socioeconomic roadblocks and Afghanophobia. That includes inconsistent immigration policies, mass deportations, and the detention of undocumented people, which has led to an Afghan immigrant crisis. Ghasemi and Amirfazli’s script follows three refugee family members. They are not nuclear or extended but connected by walking similar paths as previous and current generations.
The film starts in 2001 with Mohammad, a precocious teenage boy who would have a promising future if it weren’t for the predicament he finds himself in. There’s Leila (Hamideh Jafari), a lonely young woman boxed in by her surroundings and secrets. She is currently tethering herself to a housekeeping job for fear of having her and her son deported. And finally, we have Qasem (Bashir Nikzad), whose family’s dreams are about to be shattered, much like undocumented immigrants in the United States, while working and waiting on pins and needles for citizenship.
Watching In the Land of Brothers provides a raw, moving, and poignant view of the displaced immigrant experience. The film is compelling because it speaks to the sociological perspective of the importance of communities formed for displaced populations. You’ll often hear of unique populations developing support systems in various cities across North America. The same is true in Iran, with the common theme of hardships that those who are displaced feel. One who creates a homestead in a foreign land that will view them as outsiders for generations.
The end result of In the Land of Brothers is a remarkable story of resiliency. Along the way, the filmmakers build a visceral world of longing and pensive sadness that is front and center. The lovely score by composer Frederic Alvarez and the cinematography by Farshad Mohammadi, which can be overwhelming at times, then highlight those qualities.
This is ambitious, uncompromising filmmaking that takes the viewer to a different place that’s all too similar to how the less fortunate are treated and viewed at home and abroad. Raha Amirfazli and Alireza Ghasemi’s film offers little to no easy solutions to the problems this unique population faces. Only presenting them as they are, without pity or envy. Just an honest exploration of the trauma endured for the opportunity of a better life.
In The Land of Brothers had its World Premiere in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition section of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
Directors: Raha Amirfazli, Alireza Ghasemi
Writers: Alireza Ghasemi, Raha Amirfazli
Rated: NR
Runtime: 95m
In the Land of Brothers is a poignant and moving exploration of the trauma endured for the opportunity of a better life.
-
GVN Rating
I am a film and television critic and a proud member of the Las Vegas Film Critic Society, Critics Choice Association, and a 🍅 Rotten Tomatoes/Tomato meter approved. However, I still put on my pants one leg at a time, and that’s when I often stumble over. When I’m not writing about movies, I patiently wait for the next Pearl Jam album and pass the time by scratching my wife’s back on Sunday afternoons while she watches endless reruns of California Dreams. I was proclaimed the smartest reviewer alive by actor Jason Isaacs, but I chose to ignore his obvious sarcasm. You can also find my work on InSession Film, Ready Steady Cut, Hidden Remote, Music City Drive-In, Nerd Alert, and Film Focus Online.
