Det Means Girl

((DET, YANI DOKHTAR))

(IRANIAN) An Irib Marz-E Noor Co. production. (International sales: Farabi Film Foundation, Tehran.) Produced by I. Alai. Directed, written by Abolfazl Jalili.

Shuan ... Hossein Saki
Balut ... Zeinab Barbandi
Father ...Nabi Jalilian

The best Iranian films manage to turn simplicity into a virtue, but on that score "Det Means Girl" misses the mark. Tale of a boy who tries everything to cure his paralyzed sister fails to make emotional contact and is often hard to follow. Pic looks unlikely to stir much interest abroad.

Vet helmer Abolfazl Jalili ("Scabies") wrote, directed, edited and handled art direction on this shoestringer, set on the outskirts of Tehran. A group of poor village men live in an unfinished building while they try to scrape together money to send home. Their cooking is done by young Shuan (Hossein Saki) , a morose teenager who seems to work 24 hours a day.

His life changes when his father arrives from the village with his little sister Balut (Zeinab Barbandi), who appears barely conscious. Film records their pilgrimages to doctors and hospitals, seeking a cure for the girl while their meager resources dwindle.

When modern medicine fails, Shuan prays for a miracle. He buys a calf, has it slaughtered and distributes parcels of meat to everyone, apparently following indications in the Koran. A miracle occurs.

Jalili indulges in some mild experimenting with offscreen sound and extreme closeups, which help offset film's no-budget look. Choppy editing doesn't do much for the film's rhythm, which is sometimes tiresomely repetitive. Jalili, who began his career as a children's film director, is good at directing the kids in his largely non-pro cast.

A little more explanation about local customs and imagery would have made comprehension easier for non-Iranian auds.

Camera (color), Mehdi Majd-Vaziri; editor, Jalili; art direction, Jalili; sound, Ali Salehi, Gholam-Abbas, Ghambari. Reviewed at Venice Film Festival (competing), Aug. 30, 1995. Running time: 86 MIN.

With: Adibifar, Bahuan Maroufi.

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