Modern Immersed in Tradition: "The Stranger and the Wind" Short Film Review

Shayan Iroomloo Tabrizi
Oct 07, 2024By Shayan Iroomloo Tabrizi

"The Stranger and the Wind" short film is the third joint project by Hamidreza Ahmadi and Hamed Ahmadi. The film tells the story of a hearse driver who, after picking up a body, stops at a friend's café for breakfast on his way to the destination. This short film is an example of magical realism, a genre that has gained more attention from Iranian cinema audiences in recent years. While this genre existed in Iranian cinema before, it was less popular, and few filmmakers dared to make such films, even now.

What drew my attention to "The Stranger and the Wind" was first the film's style and its relatively psychological screenplay, and then the film's directing and acting. The film was made in 2018, coinciding with the rising wave of interest in magical realism during these years. The film rides this new wave and manages to move forward with it. However, an interesting element we see in this film, as in many others of this genre in Iran, is the clash between sanctity and secularism. Both filmmakers maintain their traditional beliefs alongside their modern views.

a scene of The Stranger and the Wind short film with actors Mahmoud Nazaralian and Behzad Khalaj, review by Shayan Iroomloo Tabrizi

Mahmoud Nazeralian’s performance as the father in "The Stranger and the Wind" is, as always, convincing and captivating. We can almost feel the father's presence through our screens. Behzad Khalaj’s acting as the frustrated son is also strong and believable. Overall, the direction and acting are commendable, though some characters, such as the man ordering an omelet, are sacrificed for the sake of fleshing out the café owner’s father, which can be seen as a weakness. The hearse driver’s character also lacks depth, as we learn little about him in the film's 15 minutes, apart from his desire to appear moral.

a scene of The Stranger and the Wind short film with actors Mahmoud Nazaralian, Behzad Khalaj and Mojtaba Fallahi review by Shayan Iroomloo Tabrizi

In conclusion, "The Stranger and the Wind" is a modern short film immersed in tradition that successfully delivers a compelling narrative. Iranian experimental cinema still requires avant-garde and stylistically unique works, especially in short films, to find its true audience. When viewers become more aware of cinema, they will find the films that speak to them.

Shayan Iroomloo Tabrizi