THE SUN SHINES ON EVERYBODY EQUALLY

Iran, 2007, 90 minutes, Colour.
Merila Zarei, Laleh Eskandari.
Directed by Abbas Rafei.

This film is very interesting for Iranian audience as well as international audience – a picture of Christianity and Islam together. (This is also a feature of the film about children in the countryside, Robin).

This is a film about a Christian woman who has lost her faith because of her sense of responsibility for a death. She leaves her husband to find herself – having nightmares in the desert where she follows a mysterious black figure who eventually emerges as herself. She is contacted by a Muslim friend and asked to participate in a mission: to abduct her terminally ill husband from hospital. The husband has been wounded in the Iraq- Iran war in lungs and larynx. His wealthy father has not given the permission for an operation. The desperate wife, with the help of her friend who is a doctor, take the husband and drive towards a shrine.

The film shows the faith of the Muslim woman, confident that in prayer a miracle will happen for her husband. The Christian woman, Armenian Christian, is much more rational. However, a number of strange things happen during the journey – touches of magic realism, people appearing to her and guiding her in her journey.

Ultimately, they come to a Muslim shrine in the woods where the Christian woman has a profound religious experience, talking to a nun who is a symbol of God – all in a dream. The Muslim continues in prayer and the husband is healed. They then continue to a major Muslim shrine.

Iranians are very strong on belief in miracles. The film also shows the traditions of spirituality in the two faiths and how they can co-exist and collaborate. This film won a commendation from the interfaith jury at the Fajr festival, 2007 and the main award at the Religion Today Festival, 2007.

1.The meaning of the title? Religious issues, God and religion, equality, Christian and Muslim?

2.The opening in Isfahan, life in Isfahan, homes? The contrast with Teheran? The countryside, the desert? The woods and the mountains? The shrines? The end with the yellow-flowered fields? The musical score?

3.The tone of realism especially in Jeanette’s experiences? The crash on the road, the detour, the father and daughter by the wayside, the buying of the petrol, the mountain, the ease of getting to Isfahan, the dreams? The boy cleaning the car at the end, the importance of the black figure in the desert, Jeanette pursuing? The build-up to the final religious experience and her seeing the nun?

4.Jeanette and her crisis, responsibility for death, her role as a doctor? Her loss of faith? Her Christian background, Armenian Christian? Her husband and his bewilderment, her leaving him? His concern, the interview with her sister, the later phone calls? His puzzle? The reconciliation at the end? Her being lost in the desert in a dream, the message from her friend, Negar, and the symbols? The relationship between Muslim and Christian? Her being drawn to this mission, being called? Seeing the work as a mission? Her hesitation, taking the car, the issues as being a doctor? The dangers, her final going into the hospital, helping Negar take her husband from the hospital? The drive, the husband and the need for care, medicine and beyond, her pessimism about his health? Stopping for the meal, continuing to drive, their being stopped by the police but yet allowed to go on? Asking the way? Jeanette finally in the woods, the important dream, the conversation with the nun and the religious experience of God? The black figure and her pursuing it, her pursuing herself? Her friend understanding this? Negar’s comments about her dreams, her faith? The contrast with the openness to faith and God?

5.Negar and her story, the past friendship with Jeanette, losing contact? Having a sense that she should ask Jeanette to help her? Her husband, love for him? The husband’s father and his wealth, importance, not giving his son an operation? The decision to abduct her husband? Take him to a shrine? Appealing to Jeanette? In the hospital, talking to the doctor, her plausible explanations, filling in the forms, getting the permission? Managing to get her husband out? The drive, the flashbacks of their life together, the lyrical romance and depth of love between the two? Jeanette’s concern and the drive? Negar’s faith? Held up by the police, prayer? Arriving at the shrine, the boy expecting them? The healing?

6.The portrait of the husband, his illness in the war, the memories of the war experience, in hospital, the difficulties in breathing? His suffering and pain, getting him out, the difficulties in the car journey? The crises? His being passive? The end and his being well?

7.The background of the father, not helping his son? The doctor and his phone call to the father?

8.A film about religious experience? Muslim faith and expectation of miracles? Christian faith – in the symbolism and visuals of the nun, Jeanette’s conversation with her, her rediscovering God?

9.The shrine, the boy, cleaning the car, saying that they were expected?

10.The final journey to the major shrine, the beautiful field of yellow flowers – miracles and the future?