Bashu, the Little Stranger

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Bashu, the Little Stranger

Directed by	Bahram Beizai
Written by	Bahram Beizai
Starring	Susan Taslimi
Release date(s)	Iran 1989
Running time	120 min.
Language	Persian
IMDb profile

Bashu is a 1986 Iranian drama film directed by Bahram Beizai. The film was produced in 1986, but was released in 1989.

[edit] Synopsis

The movie is about an Elementary-aged Arab boy from Khuzestan province, Iran, during the Iran-Iraq War. His parents are killed in a bombing raid on his home village and he escapes on a cargo truck to the north. Eventually he gets off and finds refuge in farm of a Persian woman, Nai. When she discovers him, Naii tries to shoo Bashu off her farm

Nai often discusses with the other villagers about taking him in. When they reject the notion she takes him in anyways. Being that Bashu speaks Arabic while Nai and her children speak Farsi, they have trouble communicating with each other. Nai maintains corrosopondance with her husband, a war veteran looking for employment, seeking his approval of Bashu.

In addition to the village adults, the school age children also taunted and beaten up Bashu in their games. The villagers often referring to his dark skin or differnt language, making comments about washing the dark off his skin and the like. In one scene where he is being taunted, Bashu makes his stand when he picks up one of the school books and reads a passage stating "Are we not all children of Iran?" (his ability to read Farsi is explained by his ability to read and write Arabic, both of which use the same alphabet.)

Bashu becomes Nai's helper on the farm and even accompanies her to the bazaar to sell her goods. Many times throughout the movie Bashu sees visions of his dead parents, which causes him to flee, usually while Nai is engaged elsewhere. When she comes back to find him missing she calls out to him, holding the final U in his name. The sounds made when she calls to him are compared to the noises she makes when chasing a boar out of the fields after she has sown her seeds. Ultimately whenever Bashu runs, he and Nai eventually meet again.

In the end, Nai's husband returns home, with no work and missing an arm from the war. He and Nai argue over her having kept Bashu against his wishes, at which point Bashu enters and scolds his "father" for not having been there for the family. Nai's husband apologizes and they embrace as though they were always a part of the same family. The movie closes with the entire family, including children, running into the farm field making animal noises together to scare away the boar again.

[edit] See also

List of Iranian films

[edit] External links

Bashu at the Internet Movie Database

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