Deserted Station

While making a pilgrimage to Mashad, an Iranian couple (Leila Hatami, Nezam Manouchehri) become stranded when their car breaks down in a remote village where the only adult inhabitant seems to be a teacher (Mehran Rajabi). When the instructor goes off with the husband to find the needed car part, the wife assumes the teaching duties. In the fashion of other contemporary Iranian films, Alireza Raisian's Deserted Station—based on a story by filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami—is filmed with stylistic frugality, eschewing elaborate camera moves or flashy narrative techniques. Raisian cuts back and forth between husband and wife, but it's Hatami's character—a pregnant wife whose previous children were all stillborn—who garners the lion's share of audience interest and sympathy, as her interaction with the schoolchildren is almost achingly poignant. Opening a window on a culture that regards women far differently than in our own, this thought-provoking film is recommended. (E. Hulse)