Bi Madar

 Bi-Madar [2022]

Starring: Pejman Jamshidi, Mitra Hajjar, Amir Aghaee

Director: Seyyed Morteza Fatemi

Language: Farsi

'A finger is sometimes cut by a blade, sometimes with a piece of glass, sometimes with a knife, sometimes with a piece of paper. But all bruises are different from one another. Some cuts are a never-healing pain.' If this little snippet doesn't give you an idea of what this movie is like, I don't know what will. 

Nobody knows how to show class divide in a film like the Iranians. Here's installment two of me watching foreign language movies on my flight. 

One would think that motherhood is universal, and this movie, if anything, proves that. The story follows Amirali and Marjane, a wealthy couple living in urban Iran. Marjane longs for motherhood, whilst Amirali is passionately against it. However, this changes when Marjane finds a surrogate, Mahrouz, who is a poor, single woman trying to escape from an abusive relationship with her brother whilst simultaneously trying to fund her ailing son's kidney treatment. Mahrouz agrees to give up her child for the sake of her sick son, and is invited into Marjane's house. This, in turn, causes problems for Amirali with his refusal to accept potential parenthood. 

I'm finding it difficult to differentiate between what about the movie itself I liked versus what I find interesting about Iranian society in general. Whatever it is, it was great. One of the great wishes of my life is to go to Iran: the arts, culture and architecture in the country are stunning. Films from the country in particular, I think, are things that are massively overlooked. If the selection committees for the big awards shows in the US were fairly weighted based on global population: full of diversity and and differing opinions, Farsi films would win every (in a totally not hyperbolic way) every category. 

The use of religion and stereotypical gender roles in the movie was especially powerful. It was especially poignant to me to see this coming from a place with very similar societal characteristics to Iran. 

Let's look at the presentation of motherhood. Marjane is part of the 1% of Iranians, desperate to do anything for a child. She will manipulate and pull strings to get to that goal, even if that means jeopardising her relationship with her partner. Mahrouz, however, is very different: she lives with abuse in a poor setting to service her child, and put him first, even if that means giving up the prospect of having a second child. What unites these two wildly different experiences? Determination. And that concept was tastefully managed: written in the perfect middle between too subtle and too overpowering, the movie had a nuanced portrayal of motherhood - an absolute joy to watch. What is particularly interesting, however, is what happens when determination morphs into madness. That was written SUPERBLY and enacted beautifully by the actors: especially by the women in the film.

But, motherhood was presented in a very different way: jeaousy. In the film, desire and the determination for motherhood almost clouds Marjane's ability for rational thought: it causes an almost delirious paranoia. I've seen darkness within maternal characters before, but not darkness like this. Marjane's inner turmoil fuels a smouldering rage that causes inadvertent harm to her future baby. What is motherhood if not perfectly imperfect? The new angle on the dark side of motherhood in the film was some refreshing to what otherwise is a topic that is presented through stereotypes. 

Also, what is motherhood if not elusive? Mahrouz is bound by the prospect of her child's ailing health, and shortening life expectancy. Once her child is gone, so is her motherhood. Marjane is in a similar situation: she is bound by the constraints of Mahrouz's stress, and the failing health of her developing baby. 

The only drawback I can think about in regards to this is how unbelievably intense the movie was, especially towards the end. This movie is not one to watch if you want to come out of viewing something happily. It started off moderately sombre, and escalated to the point where it was gripping to watch. My blood pressure was spiking by the end of watching this movie. 

The most comprehensive study of motherhood I have ever seen, this movie absolutely blew my mind. It'll have you soaring, it will have you sobbing. If you watch this, buckle up because you're in for the ride of your life. 

20/10