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Plot

Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf examines the troubling story of life in neighboring Afghanistan in this compelling drama. Nafas (Niloufar Pazira) is a reporter who was born in Afghanistan, but fled with her family to Canada as a child, escaping the violence of the country's political instability. However, her sister wasn't so lucky; she lost her legs to a land mine while young, and when Nafas and her family left the country, her sister was accidentally left behind. Nafas receives a letter from her sister announcing that she's decided to kill herself during the final eclipse before the dawn of the 21st century; desperate to spare her sister's life, Nafas makes haste to Afghanistan, where she joins a caravan of refugees who, for a variety of reasons, are returning to the war-torn nation. As Nafas searches for her sister, she soon gets a clear and disturbing portrait of the toll the Taliban regime has taken upon its people. Also featuring Hassan Tantai and Sadou Teymouri, Safar E Gandehar was shown in competition at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival.
MPAA Rating:
PG
Genre(s):
Horror,Foreign
Run Time:
85min.
Theatrical Release Date:
12/14/2001
DVD Release Date:
05/13/2003
Distributor(s):
Avatar Films, Mars Films
Director(s):
Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Starring:
Niloufar Pazira , Hassan Tantai , Sadou Teymouri
Themes:
Assumed Identities,Nothing Goes Right,Race Against Time,Obsessive Quests,Sibling Relationships,Journey of Self-Discovery
Tone:
Atmospheric,Bleak,Compassionate,Disturbing,Intimate,Tense
Keywords:
caravan,doctor,land-mine,sister,suicide-pact,village,wedding
Country of Origin:
USA - Limited (12-14-2001)
Language:
English,Farsi