THE HOUSE IS SAFE

Iran, 2011, 85 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Naser Raffaee.

The House is Safe is set in the times of the Iraq- Iran war. It focuses on an orphanage with young men of military age or about to achieve military age. The film begins and ends with bombardments.

In the meantime there is a focus on the range of young men who are living in the orphanage, the role of the director, the main person on the staff who relates to the students as well as a woman on the staff. There is a small subplot about a family who are looking for the brother of their adopted daughter.

The film creates the atmosphere of the orphanage, the tensions about the war, the characters of the young men and their interactions. One theme is the focus on the death of the brother of one of the young men in battle, and the young man’s blaming himself. Another young man is concerned about the death of his sister in a suburb in the bombardment, thinking that he must commit suicide. However, her baby is alive and he is persuaded to live.

The film is often a touch melodramatic for western tastes but is an example of Iran still looking at the significant war of the 1980s which had such an effect on them.

1. The impact of the film? The young men? The situation of the war? The bombardments?

2. The setting of the Iranian town, the focus of the action in the orphanage? The details of the orphanage? The musical score?

3. The title, the irony with the orphanage and the bombardments?

4. The director of the orphanage, his role, management of the young men, the family searching for the brother of their adopted daughter? The bombardments? The other members of the staff, the man and his working with the young men? The young woman, her concern about the young men? The bombardments? Persuading the brother of the dead soldier to go into the shelter?

5. The introduction to the group, hurrying into the shelter? The young man refusing to go in? The introduction to the range of the young men, their ages, staying, going, wanting to join up? The group going to the principal and wanting to join? His dissuading them?

6. The different personalities, the interactions, exercising leadership? The young men infatuated with the visiting girl? The other young man – and his being the brother of the adopted girl?

7. The cumulative effect of watching these young men and their stories? In the context of war?