-Written by Kyle Bain.
Set against the backdrop of the Iraqi-Iranian war, a young woman travels with her father in the car, singing and eating. Tensions begin to rise, as their livelihood is threatened and the world that they once knew seems to be coming to an close. In the Garden of Tulips is a touching, but heartbreaking film that expresses the hardship and the suffering that war can impose on families.
The Iranian countryside is massive, wide open, barren–and while there’s really nowhere else that this story can be told (as a result of the film’s historical context), it’s the perfect place to tell this story. As a father and daughter, Sharif (Iman Nazemzadeh) and Caroline (Ava Lalezarzadeh), respectively, travel the dry, harsh landscape of their home country, that landscape reflects and represents the harsh realities that they are currently facing. The historical context of the film is real, not something fabricated for the media–but rather something that countless individuals suffered from for years. The set is a physical representation of the real world, but, more importantly, of the internal struggle that both Caroline and Sharif are faced with.
With that aforementioned set, the harshness of the land around them allows viewers to understand and appreciate a genuine intensity that is meant to expand throughout the course of In the Garden of Tulips. The beaming sun, the dry sand, the seemingly desolate landscape begins to consume us in the opening seconds of In the Garden of Tulips, and it holds onto us for the remainder of the short film.
Though, there is a moment of levity a few minutes into the film where both lead characters are afforded the opportunity to kick back, relax, and enjoy life, even if only for a moment. Suddenly In the Garden of Tulips shifts aggressively back to its original ways–to a hardened, unforgiving world where life isn’t to be taken for granted. As we snap back to this harsh reality, so suddenly, it forces us to be pulled into the story with Sharif and Caroline.
I’ve heard many times that one of the marks of a great film is being able to distinctly understand the beginning and end of each of the three acts within it. I don’t know if I totally subscribe to that idea, but I do believe that a crisp narrative can certainly help to strengthen a film–and In the Garden of Tulips is a great example of that. This film is effectively structured, taking us through three distinct parts of what is ultimately Caroline’s journey. There are emotional highs and lows that help to represent the transition from act to act, and we are able to clearly understand each aspect of the film as a result.
I am not a history buff, and most of my knowledge of history comes from what I learned in middle and high school–which, if I’m being honest, isn’t much. With that, there’s a bit of In the Garden of Tulips that was lost on me at the start, and that was in regard to, again, its historical context. Through a bit of research and the information provided online about this short film, I was able to understand and appreciate the things being said and done in the film. While the specific context of the film was initially difficult for me to understand, In the Garden of Tulips is structured in a way that is relatively synonymous with other war-related films. This allowed me to make connections with this film and to better understand it as it moved forward.
In the Garden of Tulips is relatively direct in its message, crisp and straightforward in its storytelling. I felt connected to these characters, and ultimately to the story as a result. The story is compelling, and the use of the barren landscape to help bring a series of sentiments to life works wonders for the film. It’s touching, it’s emotionally charged, and In the Garden of Tulips works well from start to finish as a result.
Directed by Julia Elihu.
Written by Ava Lalezarzadeh.
Starring Ava Lalezarzadeh, Iman Nazemzadeh, Kourosh Parsapour, Milad Dylan, Ray Haratian, & Navid Negahban.
8.5/10 = WORTH RENTING OR BUYING
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