Leila's Brothers

The gifted Iranian director Saeed Roustaee crafts a sympathetic portrait of a woman and her dramatic struggle for her family’s future, which is thwarted by patriarchal traditions and a Donald Trump tweet.

Leila has four brothers, none of whom has really made it in life. Unemployed and heavily in debt, the siblings share a room in their parents’ house. Regardless of their mutual love, tensions are inevitable. Leila’s plan is for the men to finally become independent by opening a store. The problem is that they don’t have enough start-up capital. Then, suddenly, 40 gold coins turn up in the modest household. Although they are meant to fulfill a dream long held by their father, they are quickly stolen from him, passed from hand to hand, and finally exchanged for cash. Soon thereafter, bad luck strikes Leila’s brothers once again, as economic sanctions give rise to record levels of inflation.

This modern family epic is superbly written and directed, rich in plot twists, and never shies from embracing dramatic sentiment. A resounding slap in the face of Iran’s patriarchal culture, without any moralistic finger-pointing!

Director