Si-o-se Pol

At a time when the issue of migration is the political hot topic of the day, this wonderful little film examines the issue from the point of view of Parvis, a middle-aged Iranian ma who has smuggled himself into Spain across the sea. Mortally ill, Parvis is searching for his estranged daughter to make peace with her before he dies.

Arriving in Madrid - a city in the grip of a deep recession - he is alone and lost. But he makes friends with Fabrizio, a failed musician and Almut, a poor little rich girl. Together they go in search of Parvis' daughter.

A quiet, thoughtful and humane take on an issue which frequently creates more heat than light, this moving and beautifully acted film was deservedly awarded Best Feature at Cardiff Independent Film Festival 2015

When I saw the title of this film, "Si-o-se Pol", I had absolutely no idea what that meant and in the course of the film you learn that this is an old an apparently very picturesque bridge in Iran. It really has little to do with the film's plot--just a memory of one of the characters about a lovely place he remembers from his youth.

The film begins in North Africa. A small group of people are being smuggled into Spain. One of them, Parvis, is looking for his daughter. Apparently, they haven't seen each other for over a decade and he's left Iran to look for her. This search is imperative, as Parvis is dying and wants to make peace with her before his death--what's transpired between them is something you'll need to find out through the course of the movie. Once he's made it to Madrid, the last town that he knows she was in, he begins searching for her. But it's a big town and the clues he has are scant. He's also hungry and out of work, so his search seems hopeless. Along the way, this very decent man meets a couple people and they become his friends--and they agree to help him in his search.

This is a very nice, gentle sort of a film. It's slow paced, but it doesn't drag--mostly because the characters are quite likable. The actors, writer and director can be credited for this. Additionally, there is an interesting contrast between Parvis and his incredible journey and his two friends whose own troubles and conflicts seem rather simple by comparison. Well worth seeing even if it doesn't have a formulaic ending that some might expect and demand. I like it because it was a nice look into three very disparate personalities--three who manage to trust and care about each other through the course of this engaging film. Well worth seeing.

This film was beautiful. It's extremely heartfelt, and even though I was reading subtitles, I was fully immersed in the story as well. It was beautiful and heartbreaking to see a man who wanted nothing more than to reconnect with his daughter before he passes away. When he meets a young woman, he enlists her in his endeavor and they create a bond that is just so sweet. I truly enjoyed this movie and thought that it was well written, well acted, and all around wonderful.

What one terminally-ill man would do to see his daughter again for possibly the last time will leave you in awe as he goes through different challenging stages in search of her, stretching out his last remaining days. As the story unfolds, Pravis Karimpour, the protagonist, will have you bracing in your seats as you wonder how things will play out for him given these challenges: 1) he is an "illegal" alien; 2) he is hungry and unemployed; and 3) he is awaiting his impending demise. He meets and befriends two strangers going through their own struggles and they become unlikely friends who aid him in his quest to search for his long-lost daughter. Si-o-Se Pol is a nice and engaging film that develops at a slow pace, but it is not dreary. The film teaches you that in the face of what would be a brush of desperation, it is best to look past the differences of others and work towards a goal together. It shows a perspective of humanity from a different angle. The beautiful cinematography, some few heart-wrenching scenes, overall story development and enthralling performance of the actors is what makes Si-o-Se Pol a world-class drama film that is definitely worth watching.

I just happened to read about this film when it was shown in Frankfurt – so I went to see it with a friend and we really enjoyed it. To me it almost appeared like a road movie with a most up-to –date plot about the difficult situation refugees and some other lost souls face every day (I would call Fabrizio and Almut 'lost souls'). The slow pace of the film and especially the great camera work let me just drift off into the scenes. The three main characters couldn't be more different and yet this film shows in very smart way how friendships can grow in a difficult situation. The positive spirit of Parivs is contagious not only for the other characters, but I think also for the audience - maybe we should all pick a bit of that spirit. I liked all three main characters, but especially Parvis – Ramin Yazdani did a great job ! (Ramin did you keep that jogging suit ;-) ?)