Shirin va Farhad: Watching a Mountain Get Carved by Pure Desperation

Is this for you?

If you have a thing for black-and-white dramas that take their own mythology seriously, you might actually dig this. It’s got that specific 1930s earnestness that’s hard to find these days. But if you’re looking for snappy dialogue or, you know, stuff that moves faster than a tectonic plate, you are going to be bored out of your mind. Honestly, stay away if you hate watching people stare longingly at rock formations for ten minutes straight.

There is something inherently absurd about the whole premise. Farhad is out there with his hammer and chisel, and the rest of the engineers are just watching him like he’s lost his marbles. It’s a bit like watching the characters in The Plumbers Are Coming try to fix a leak, except the leak is an entire mountain and the stakes are infinitely more dramatic.

The cinematography is… well, it’s simple. Sometimes the frame feels so static it’s like looking at a postcard that refuses to change. There’s a scene where Farhad is just hacking away at the stone, and the sound design is just *clink, clink, clink* until you start hearing it in your own head. I found myself counting the rocks just to stay focused. 🪨

Roohangiz Sami-Nejad has this way of looking at the camera that makes you think she knows exactly how ridiculous this whole situation is. She brings a bit of grounded energy to a story that really wants to float away into pure, unadulterated fantasy. It’s a quiet performance, but it stands out because everything else is so loud with 'destiny' and 'romance.'

The pacing is definitely a choice. It doesn't move so much as it settles into scenes. You really feel the weight of that mountain. It reminded me a bit of the slow, methodical pace in Wild Orchids, where the scenery does half the acting for you.

I can’t say I fully understood why the canal was the only way to win her heart, but then again, love is weird. Maybe it’s just me. Maybe if I had a mountain in my backyard, I’d try to carve a canal too. Or just hire a contractor. 🛠️

There is a weird lack of tension during the actual work scenes. You’d think carving a mountain would be dangerous, but everyone seems remarkably chill about it. It’s almost like they’re just waiting for the film to finish so they can go home. It’s not necessarily bad, just… odd.

At the end of the day, it’s a relic. It’s worth a watch if you’re feeling curious about how stories were told before we decided every movie needed a car chase or a twist ending. Just don’t expect to come away with a deep understanding of hydraulic engineering.