Baran 2001

It’s winter in Tehran, where Lateef, a 17-year-old boy, finds himself employed at a construction site overseen by MEMAR, the foreman. His responsibilities include serving tea and preparing food for the laborers, with whom he often clashes. The crew consists of workers from various regions of Iran, including Afghan refugees who are escaping the ravages of their war-torn homeland. These Afghans lack proper identification, making their employment both illegal and precarious. Whenever labor inspectors arrive, the Afghan workers must quickly conceal themselves to avoid capture.

The narrative kicks off when Najaf, an Afghan worker, suffers a fall from the building, resulting in a broken leg that requires hospitalization. On the following day, Soltan, another Afghan laborer, brings Rahmat, Najaf’s 14-year-old son, to take over his father’s position. However, Memar soon identifies that Rahmat is not suited for the physically demanding work and opts to swap his role with Lateef’s. This decision infuriates Lateef, as he resorts to threatening Rahmat, attempting to undermine his efforts while secretly observing him at work.

In a surprising turn of events, Lateef peers through a doorway and is astonished to discover that Rahmat is, in fact, a girl. As he watches her comb her hair and gets enveloped by a mix of emotions and unfamiliar sounds, Lateef’s demeanor transforms entirely. He becomes protective of Rahmat, offering assistance, and gradually finds himself hopelessly in love with her. Although Rahmat rarely speaks, her growing connection to Lateef becomes evident over time.

The situation escalates dramatically during an unexpected visit from labor inspectors, leading to a frantic chase through the city streets. Rahmat panics and attempts to escape while Lateef confronts the inspectors, ultimately suffering injuries and being taken to the police station. Following this turmoil, Memar faces the repercussions of the law, resulting in the mandatory dismissal of all Afghan workers from the site.

Unable to cope with Rahmat’s absence, Lateef embarks on a quest to find Soltan and learn about her fate. His journey takes him to the village where the Afghan families live, where he encounters an enigmatic cobbler and eventually arrives at a courtyard near a graveyard, bustling with families celebrating a local milk ceremony. Amidst the crowd, he spots Rahmat, dressed as a girl, momentarily locking eyes with her before she slips away unnoticed.

Determined to help, Lateef learns from Soltan that Rahmat is laboring in a nearby village, carrying heavy stones from the river. His heart breaks at the sight of her grueling condition, igniting a fierce desire to alleviate her struggles. Lateef decides to hand over his accumulated wages to Soltan, urging him to deliver the money to Najaf. They agree to meet the following day at the shrine.

When Lateef returns to the shrine, he is greeted not by Soltan, but by Najaf, who informs him of Soltan’s urgent departure back to Afghanistan due to a family crisis. This unexpected news sends Lateef into a spiral of concern. His fears deepen when he overhears that Najaf’s brother has been killed in the ongoing war, and that Rahmat’s true name is Baran.

Desperate to find Baran, Lateef ventures back to the river, only to find her overburdened with logs, an image painfully reminiscent of the battlefield. Feeling utterly powerless, he returns to the construction site shrouded in despair. As the days pass, Najaf returns on crutches, pleading with Memar for financial assistance. In a moment of desperation, Lateef decides to sell his last valuable possession—his identity card—to gather enough funds.

When he finally can hand over the money to Najaf, he learns that Najaf and his family will be using it to return to Afghanistan. This news further devastates him. Seeking solace, Lateef visits the shrine, where he hears the familiar sounds that replayed in his mind during his first encounter with Baran.

In a surreal atmosphere, as he assists Najaf in loading their belongings onto a truck, Lateef, now calm and composed, meets Baran once more. In a quiet exchange filled with unspoken affection, their eyes connect, conveying their feelings without words. As Baran prepares to leave, her shoe becomes stuck in the mud. Lateef kneels down, extricates the shoe, and hands it to her with a gentle touch. As the truck pulls away, he remains behind, gazing at the imprint left in the mud by Baran’s shoe, a bittersweet smile playing on his lips as the rain begins to wash it away.