Le Vent des amoureux

The wind that blows across Iran’s deserts, mountains, old settlements and new cities has a name: Baadeh Sabah. Sometimes he blows alone, sometimes with other winds, and other times he quarrels with his brother, the mischievous Baadeh Div. Baadeh Sabah is the poetic narrator in this extraordinary ode to Iran, which is mostly made up of aerial footage. Unlike his bad-mannered brother, Baadeh Sabah likes to help people. He travels with the nomads, sees the shepherds and fishermen, enjoys the beauty of Isfahan and is amazed by the new industry and neon lights of modern Tehran, the treasures of the Shah and the glistening rice fields. The Iranian Ministry of Culture and Art, which commissioned the film, wanted to see more emphasis on the modernization of the country. Director Albert Lamorisse (Le ballon rouge) died in a helicopter accident while filming additional footage. Lamorisse’s wife and son completed the film, which received an Oscar nomination shortly before the Iranian Revolution. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)