THE WIND BLOWS THROUGH THE MEADOW

Iran, 2007, 95 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Khosro Masumi.

IMDb plotline: Shooka, a spirited, hardworking girl from an Iranian mountain village is to be married in an arranged marriage. Shokrollah, her neighbor with Down syndrome, has been head over heels in love with Shooka since they were children, and so Shokrollah's father buys his son's way into a marriage deal with Shooka's father. Enter Rafie, the tailor, and his daydreaming assistant Jalil, who falls for Shooka after overhearing her pour her heart out to her family. Determined to be with the bride to be despite her impending wedding, Jalil follows her over the mountain trails and invents ingenious ways to delay the wedding.

1.The impact of the Iranian story? The country life? Harsh, arranged marriages, violence?

2.The location photography, the forest and its beauty, the snow, sinister?

3.The village, isolated, the snow, the shops, the tracks through the countryside? The trains, the cafes? The musical score? The songs and the dancing?

4.The prologue, the father, working in the forest, his injury? The consequences, his debt, depending on the car for income, the milk? His daughter, the marriage?

5.The meeting about the marriage, the daughter listening, the proposal, the Down Syndrome young man, his father wanting what was best for him, the issue of money, the plans? The reaction of the guardian, her treatment of the young woman?

6.Rafie and Jalil, arrival by train, the greeting, Rafie’s reputation as a tailor, the plan for the wedding garments, the welcome into the house, the commissions, the measurement-taking, the work, the machine, Rafie and his continual criticism of Jalil, calling him a fool, Jalil listening in, discovering what was happening, giving the wrong measurements for the wedding dress, not getting the woman for a fitting? The crisis, Rafie and his concern about his eyes? The fact that he had not made a mistake?

7.The picture of the Downs Syndrome young man, in love with the girl, his father and uncle, their dominance, helping him, the plans for the wedding, the measurements for the suit, the making of the suit, his joy? His wariness of Jalil? Recognition that the young woman did not love him?

8.The daughter, her reaction, her hard work on the farm, carrying the milk, buying the goods, setting up the wood, the measurements for her dress, Jalil and his attentions, his following her, his stacking the wood during the night?

9.The uncle, his suspicions, report to his brother, the confrontation with Jalil, the bashing?

10.The appeal to Rafie, Rafie and his phone calls to his wife, the wife and the children turning up, the elaborate scene of the proposal, the joy all round?

11.The father, confined to his bed, calling his daughter, getting advice, changing his mind? The anger of the father and his brother, torturing him, especially cutting down his legs?

12.Jalil, an ordinary young man, in love, pining through the nights, standing up to Rafie, his sister coming, the proposal?

13.The wedding ceremony, Rafie and his dancing, joy?

14.The interruption, taking of the young woman, putting her on the tree trunk, walling her in?

15.The sadness, the Down Syndrome man and his reaction, going to Jalil in the café, their rescuing the young woman, the Down man and his proving his love? An appropriate ending?

16.The harshness of the background, poverty, the role of women, arranged marriages, patriarchal attitudes, the consequences in violence?