Abadani-Ha

Of all Iranian films, this is the only one so far that realistically deals with the ugly aftermath one the Iran-Iraq war which lasted for 8 years.It deals with a dislocated families who have lost just about everything except their dignity, who try to get by in spite of poverty, rationing and crime. It also tries to show the underbelly of the capital Tehran, the world of wheeler-dealers, petty thieves and scoundrels.The tell-tale writing on the wall "WAR, WAR,UNTIL VICTORY" can still be seen, a reminder of the viciousness of country's leaders, who stubbornly continued the devastating war for personal, expansionist and ideological reasons (we now know that many of them amassed dizzying amounts of wealth during and because of the war). The film -which is made with poor equipment, cheap raw film and lots of talent and thoughtfulness- is aptly dedicated to Vittorio De Sica's "The Bicycle Thief".