This year MIFF is doing a focus on the “Iranian New Wave: 1962-79” which has been curated along with the folks from the Museum of Modern Art, in New York, based on their own retrospective they held last year, “Iranian Cinema Before the Revolution, 1925-1979”. MIFF's programme consists of nine feature films and a collection of animation and documentaries from that time period. Being a massive fan of modern Iranian films, there was no chance that I was going to miss out on seeing these very hard to find and rarely screened per-revolutionary Iranian films, and as such I booked tickets to all the feature screenings as a priority. “A Simple Event” is the third film I have seen from this collection, and with the previous two (“The Deer” and “The Carriage Driver”) I was shocked at just how different they are compared to the modern day Iranian films that I am so used to. Subjects such as drug addiction, guerilla warfare, sex, and suicide are just some of the topics explored in these films that would never dared by mentioned in today's films, not to mention, the less oppressed roles of women in these earlier films and the fact that in a lot of them there is not a hijab to be seen. “A Simple Event”, however, is actually very similar to the film's of today, telling the very simple story of a young boy and his parents, trying to make ends meet in a seaside town of Northern Iran. I was actually surprised by how fresh and modern “A Simple Event” felt.
As you can probably tell by the title (not to mention the film's plot synopsis above), “A Simple Event” is a film about the little moments in life. It is about the repetition and ritual of daily life, in an attempt to do nothing more than survive, and move on to more of the same the next day. It is a tiny, modest film that is able to convey a lot about family dynamics and connection, work ethics and knuckling down to get done what needs to be done. It also highlights that everyone's life scenario is different from any one else, even if it appears they are on the same social level, and have to do the same things as everyone else. We all have our own personal struggles to contend with, which ultimately changes the life dynamics we face to survive.
As I mentioned above, “A Simple Event” looks at the repetition and ritual of a young boy's daily life which consists of the following: Mohammad (the boy) gets up and goes to school, following school he runs to the local grocery store to collect a Hessian bag, he then meets his father at the edge of the lake to collect all of the fish he has caught during that day in that Hessian bag, he then runs back to the store to get paid for the fish, which he gives to his father at the cafe where he now is drinking at. He then runs back for home, grabbing whatever groceries his house needs (like sugar or bread) along the way, delivering them to his mother who is then preparing Mohammad's dinner. The boy eats, collects the water from the well for the dishes, does some school study, before laying out his bed to sleep, just as his father gets home from drinking. This is his daily ritual; rinse and repeat. It is a simple life, but one that doesn't leave much time for Mohammad to do anything outside of it. The fact that he runs everywhere he goes shows just how stretched for time he is each day (and is a reason why he probably struggles at school). We witness Mohammad repeating these tasks on multiple days, with very little variation, until it all changes in an instant when his mother suddenly and unexpectedly dies.
Something that is evident immediately whilst watching “A Simple Event” is the complete lack of emotions that the characters show towards one another. Honestly, I am not sure if the actors have been directed like this deliberately, or if this is meant to be a true account of a family living this kind of life in Northern Iran in the 1970's. What is noticeable is just how cold the father is to his young son. There is just no warmth at all, as he treats him like a junior subordinate of his workplace rather than his own flesh and blood. The two barely share a word, and if the father does speak, it is to punish the boy or to tell him to study. However the beauty in the film comes after the mother's passing, and we witness this man slowly defrost and begin to warm up to his son. He realises that it is now up to him to look after Mohammad and actually steps up to the task, even though he is not a natural at the beginning, you can see that he is trying and the two of them will eventually be okay. Does he suddenly wrap the boy in his arms, telling him he loves him? No, it is definitely not that kind of film, as emotionally there is still little between the boy and his dad, but it is in the father's actions which are subtle but different enough to know that he cares and will look after Mohammad. One moment is when the boy gives his dad the money for the fish he caught at the cafe, and when Mohammad is usually sent home to his mother. This time, the father sits the boy down at the cafe and makes sure he is well fed before going home.
As the film was shot by director Sohrab Shahid Saless in a clandestine fashion with a skeleton crew, you could imagine that “A Simple Event” would have a pared back visual style and you would be correct. The film has been shot using an observational approach; shot from a distance usually in long takes, and very rarely using any form of close up. Whilst the camera does move from time to time, movement is subtle, with most of the action happening within the static camera frame. Personally, I think this is an effective technique when documenting repetition of an action, as you will then notice the slight differences that happen on any given day. Despite the simple visual style of “A Simple Event”, it really is a beautiful looking film thanks to the North Iran locations which feature a lot of natural colour. Saless' use of music is very similar in that it is rarely used except when he needs to make a point of something, but even then, he uses only a couple of notes rather than a big sweeping symphony to get his point across. The other thing I should mention is that outside of the classroom scenes, there is very little dialogue in the film at all. Again, it is more about actions rather than emotions and conversation.
One interesting aspect of the film is it's title, as we never know what the titular event actually is. Whilst you could make a case that it is the passing of the mother (which yes, I am a terrible person as I found that moment funny. Not her death per se, but the way the doctor announces it, as he examines her for a good few minutes before saying “this woman is dead”.......surely he could tell quicker than that!!), but I wouldn't necessarily think the passing of a family member is something you would refer to as “simple”, even though her death does just sort of happen. My personal reading is that the event that the title refers to is the final scene of the movie, when the father attempts to buy Mohammad a new jacket. It is the first outwardly “big” sign of affection and caring from the dad towards the boy, and one that Mohammad himself notices. It is a moment when he understands that his dad really does care for him, and life will go on with them together. Amusingly, the sale of the jacket doesn't go through because the dad is aghast at its price, but as they say, it's the thought that matters.
Overall, as the title suggests, “A Simple Event” is a very simple story about a very simple life, that is nonetheless still very beautiful and poignant. I could understand that some viewers might find the repetition of events to be boring, but I think this reading misses the whole point of the film. Little moments in life are just as important as the big ones, and can have just as much of an effect on a person. I thought “A Simple Event” was a lovely film.
3.5 Stars.
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