A Brief Peace 2004
Distributed by Cinema Guild, 115 West 30th Street, Suite 800, New York, NY 10001; 212-685-6242
Produced by Ata Hayati
Director n/a
DVD, color, 52 min.; in Farsi with English subtitles
College - Adult
Iran, Burial Customs, Gravestones, Middle Eastern Studies, Multicultural Studies, Social Norms
Date Entered: 01/07/2009
Reviewed by Homa Naficy, Manager, Multicultural Education and Outreach Services, Hartford Public LibraryThis documentary, perhaps one of a kind, presents the culture of death in Iran by a visit to Teheran’s biggest cemetery, Behesht Zahra. It captures every conceivable aspect: the bureaucracy and haggling that surrounds buying a burial plot; mourners viewing their relatives being washed and wrapped in shrouds prior to being sent on a conveyor belt to the graveyard; identifying victims of war by simply rumbling through skeletal remnants; artisans creating elaborate stone markers featuring etched portraits of the deceased; the picnic-like gatherings of visitors; the surrounding playgrounds; the flower peddlers making a buck or two; and soldiers training in the surrounding grounds.
There is minimal dialogue, and the audio and video quality is average. The documentary captures the moment as is—fascinating.