The Fish Fall In Love

By Thientam Nguyen, Student Contributor

Ali Raffi’s first feature film The Fish Fall in Love, is as much a tribute to Iranian culture as it is to human emotion. Atieh puts her heart into cooking and running her restaurant. Amidst the hustle of kitchen and the chatter of the busy women, we are given a glimpse of the local cuisine as well as the preparation of it, from the marketplace to the plate.

I was really struck by the dynamics of the characters. Touka’s pain at being separated from her lover Reza mirrors Atieh’s suffering at the disappearance of Aziz twenty something years ago. The process of recovery is slow but sure, and the reconnecting of Aziz and Atieh’s bonds are a celebratory moment in the film.

But despite the deceptively cheerful moments, there is always underlying drama. In fact, the backbone of the plot consists of miscommunication between Aziz and Atieh, and the resulting misunderstandings. I really felt for Aziz, constantly villainized by the women, blind to his well intentions. If only everyone would just sit down together and explain everything!