Beyond the Wall

“Ali, a blind man, is attempting to commit suicide when he is interrupted by the concierge of his building. He is informed that the police is in search of a woman who has escaped and hidden somewhere in the building. Little by little, Ali finds out that the fugitive woman, Leila, is inside his apartment. After participating in a workers’ protest that led to chaos, she is distraught about her four-year-old son who was lost when she was taken in a police van. Gradually, Ali becomes emotionally attached to her. Wishing to flee reality, helping Leila becomes a refuge in his own world of imagination. ”

Beyond the Wall is a meticulously crafted psychodrama starring Navid Mohamadzadeh. Mohamadzadeh performs masterfully in his role as a blind man with psychological wounds. What he could see is merely the past events, through his imagination. The massive soulless building in which the blind man resides pictures the collective containment of people under the tyranny of guards and interrogators. The movie is a great addition to the trending phycological movies in Iranian cinema. It depicts the aftermath of a laborers’ strike, social discontent, rebellious response of the suppressed citizens and the eventual tragedy in the subaltern lives.