"A Separation" | Deep feeling of kinship!
Some overblown American political rhetoric represents Iran as a rogue, nuclear war-mongering Islamic nation of headstrong harem-keepers. But, on the contrary, the film ‘A Separation’ speaks a lot about true humanism which undoubtedly looks far more humane than what is observed in the American society. Noted filmmaker, Asghar Farhadi’s script goes deep in the ingrained attitude of human being and a public virtue, viewed with sympathy and skepticism as well. Sometimes it is crystal clear and yet at the same time provocatively and distressingly mystifying. The film won the Academy Awards for the Best Foreign Language film in 2012.
Simin(Leila Hatami) and Nader(Peyman Moaadi), an urban middle-class couple is in a fractured marriage. They approach the judge with Simin, proposing to move away from Iran for a liberal society with daughter Termeh whereas Nader, citing his Alzheimer-ridden father’s caregiving wants to stay back. Judge, finding the reason stronger in favour of Nader refuses to grant divorce. So, Simin goes back to her mother’s place while Nader decides to take care of his aged father with his school-going daughter, Termeh. The complication piles up when Nader hires a poor and god-fearing woman to take care of his father. Razieh(Sareh Bayet) reaches Nader’s apartment every day after a long commute with her little daughter. One day, back home with Termeh, Nader finds his father roped in the bed while Razieh is out for her personal work. In a fit of rage, he forces her to leave after a brief altercation. It is revealed immediately after that Razieh faces an unfortunate miscarriage to her clandestine pregnancy. Her debt-ridden husband, a hothead, Hodjat(Shahab Hosseini) blames Nader for the mishap and approaches the court for justice. The urban family defends the case as a family with Termeh’s private tutor as a witness. What happens next is worth watching.
The performance of every actor, especially Hatami and Moaadi is heartfelt. Justifiably the conglomeration of all eight actors and actresses shared the best actor’s and actress’s honour in Berlin International Film Festival 2011. Director Asghar Farhadi’s 11-year-old daughter, Sarina Farhadi needs a special praise for her role as Termeh. In A Separation, this docile but sensitive teenage character takes all the burden on her own shoulder to prevent her family from a possible collapse. Farhadi, in his fifth film, makes no overt statement about gender politics in Iran’s socioreligious environment, he rather involves the audience directly with the story which they may approve or disapprove. The film thus questions the moral and philosophical boundary of well-being in a society.
