Synopsis

“Don’t bury yourself alive!“ one man advises another with great seriousness. He wants his friend to take off that sad look, get on his feet and finally live again. Easier said than done, for Abbas, a provincial teacher in Azerbaijan, is a broken man after the death of his wife Wafa. He spends his lonely nights sitting at her grave, increasingly neglects himself, and his house seems to have fallen into a deep slumber. No wonder his neighbours start talking behind his back. But Abbas’ broken heart is not the only one that is still connected to his dear Wafa. There also is an orphan boy, whom his late wife used to take loving care of, and who suddenly comes back to this sleepy village. As old wounds break open and his past catches up with him, Abbas needs to face the question: Who really is to blame for Wafa’s death? In magical-realistic images, Director Mirbala Salimi dissects the burnt soul of a broken man, who not only said goodbye to his beloved wife, but also to the entirety of his own life. Little by little, however, he discovers he cannot escape his responsibilities forever, neither for his sake nor that of the orphan boy. An even harder lesson for Abbas, but one he nevertheless needs to learn: he must realise that to overcome his loneliness, he must open up his heart.

Guests

Mirbala Salimli

Mirbala Salimli

Director and scriptwriter Red Garden

In Vienna: March 22-26