Film: A cube of Suger (yek habe qand)

Reza Mirkarimi's new feature film is a fresh breeze in Iranian cinema. Yek Habe Qand is an excellent demonstration of an Iranian dialogue between traditions and modernity. The story is around a traditional family in the Yazd province who are preparing for the long-distance wedding of their daughter (whose to-be husband is in the US). A suite of characters who resemble the Iranian society are present in this large family. This is a nice reminder of Ali Hatami's Madar). Through a dramatic set of events, the plot switches from the livelihood of a wedding to a new livelihood of a mourning preparation. In both settings we observe a colorful image of Iranian customs and cuisines in each of these occasions.

Mir-karimi's direction is mostly solid. The only turn-offs are the few slow-motion sequences. These over-dramatic scenes (with their over-melodic music) weaken the powerful narrative of the work. All together the movie presents a novel Iranian view of the familiar destiny theme. The script and acting are well above the average and make the film a great success.
This film along with Farhadi's powerful film (A Separation) are the nice surprises of the struggling Iranian cinema.