GOD IS CLOSE

Iran, 2007, 86 minutes, Colour.
Babak Hammidian.
Directed by Javad Noroozbigi.

God is Close is the first feature film from its writer-director who is best known in Iran as a painter and graphic artist. He began making short films and this is his first feature.

The story is simple, about a simple man. He lives in a country village, his brother has been killed in the Iran- raq war, his mother cares for him. He is rather simple, innocent.

Inheriting his brother’s bike, he ferries people around the city and especially the new teacher going to the school. At first sight he is smitten by her, growing more infatuated, giving her rides back and forth from the school. When she is absent and when she marries, he is heartbroken and pines away, becoming very ill.

The film is very strong in Islamic spirituality. The opening credits have images from paintings – which later an imam explains in song. The film also has a shrine, people at prayer, wise reflections on the reality of God, God’s presence, the afterlife – but God’s presence in our vocation in this world.

The film is well acted – although the musical score tends to be of the style popular in American dramas, eliciting emotional response. A quiet, simple and reflective film.

1.The title, religious overtones? Islamic spirituality? Traditions? Images? The Koran? Interpretation? Spirituality in daily life?

2.The village, its markets and streets, the countryside, school, the mosque and the shrine, homes? The musical score – and emotions?

3.The framework, Reza and his illness, unkempt, taken to the shrine? His recovery? The aftermath?

4.The flashbacks and the explanation of his condition? A simple man, his age, his brother’s death, the Iraq- Iran war, having his brother’s bike, buying the box for women to ride on the bike, buying all the apples from the young girl despite their being bad? His love for his mother, her care for him? Taking the man to the school, speeding on the road, falls? The kids in the playground? The teacher coming off the bus, his immediate attraction, infatuation? His driving her? The river, his recovering her shoe? Delivering her, waiting, attending to her day by day? The effect on him, emotional? Their being lost in the fog? Her absence, going into her class, supervision, the boys playing up, going to the toilet? Hearing of her marriage, her plan? His getting worse, pining away, not doing anything? The years passing, his illness, his being taken to the shrine? His dream, his mother going into the light? His searching for Lila? His recovery, not doing anything, just sitting at the shrine, her visit, her confiding in him, listening? His reflections with the guardian of the shrine about where God is, what he should do? The uncertain ending?

5.The teacher, her arrival, her rides, the lost shoe, lost in the fog? The relationship with Reza, put off by him at first? Her absence, the visuals of the marriage? Her husband not wanting her to teach? The discussions with the principal? Her eventual return, the welcome? Her going to the shrine, meeting Reza, confiding everything in him, the divorce, her husband’s remarriage? Her talking with him at the end – what future?

6.The variety of characters in the village: the keeper of the shrine, his care for Reza, their discussions about religion and spirituality? The imam and his explanation of the images, reading the Koran? The principal of the school, the teachers?

7.Reza and his family, his mother, his brother killed in the war?

8.A film of religious reflection?