Letters In The Wind

A bunch of young Iranian conscripts, mostly from the provinces, are sent to a training camp at the start of their two years miltary service. Their personal possessions confiscated, they begin the gruelling exercises under harsh supervision that will turn them into "brave men".

They are told, "We don't want any smiles here, we want you to be serious," but some, at least, have a tape recorder, smuggled in by Taghi, who has been given a tape of women talking by a friend. These, and continued conversations about girls and life back home are all that is left as scraps of personal freedom.

One day, Taghi is given the chance to go into Tehran and he uses it to deliver letters and messages to his comrades' families and record yet more tapes. In doing so he embarks on a journey of discovery and adventure before returnimg to the barracks.

Ali-Reza's Letters In The Wind is another example of that intriguing crossover genre, the Iranian film which focuses on globally identifiable themes. In this case, we hit the difficult period, where youths turn into men and the angst, confusion, depression and humour that goes with it, which is captured well in certain segments - when two of them are forced to crawl along a road as a punishment, or as they gather round to hear a tape, then scarper when they are discoverd. One scene in particular, where Tashi cheekily asks out a girl who has commented on his "dandy clothing", is the perfect embodiment of relationships at that age.

It's a shame that too much time is spent going through the "sit down, get up" drills, or just following Taghi's hand as he experiences the sights and records the sounds of Tehran. Perhaps, this is deliberate, his isolation from the people in the city representing the gap between the soldiers and their loved ones.

An interesting film in parts, but ultimately one that fails to engage all the senses.