水、风、土

　　Thisisanunusualfilmofexceptionalvalues--75minuteslongincolor,withhardlyanyspokendialogs.IsawthisIranianfilminFarsiwithoutEnglishsubtitlesattheEarlyIraniancinemaretrospectiveon-goingInternationalFilmFestivalofKerala,India.ThatIwaswatchingaprintwithoutsubtitlesdidnotmakeadifferenceastherewereveryfewlinesofspokendialogs.
　　Thisisaveryaccessiblefilmforanyaudiencetoenjoy--itsstoryandvaluesarenotmerelyIranian,it'suniversal.
　　ThefilmissetinruralIranthathadnottastedpetro-dollarprosperity.Thesettingisonfringesofdesertland,wherewaterisscarce,rainfallscantyandhardlyanybladeofgrassisgreen.Addtoitwindanddustthatbuffetsandwhipsmanandanimalandyoucanimagineplightofthepeoplewholiveonthefringesofsociety.
　　Thefilmismovingtaleofayoungteenagerreturningtohisvillagewithagoat--onlytofindhisfamilyandvillagershavemovedontoescapenaturesvagariesandthatoneoldmanremains.Hegivesthegoattohimandgoesinsearchofhisfamily.Waterisscarceandwellwaterittreatedwithreverenceandneverwasted.