BASHU, THE LITTLE STRANGER

Proudly presented as part of our Persian Film Fest this week at FOMO Secret Cinema

BASHU tells the story of a young boy who flees war in southern Iran and ends up alone in a northern village where no one speaks his language. A woman named Naii takes him in despite pressure from her community. Their fragile bond grows as both face prejudice and fear.

The film sits between the first and second waves of the Persian New Wave and reflects Iran during and after the Iran Iraq War. Beyzaie uses Bashu’s displacement to explore ethnic tension and national identity inside a country controlled by a strict religious system. The film was delayed for years due to censorship and political discomfort, which only increased its reputation after release.

Today BASHU is one of the most loved Iranian films ever made. It shows how compassion can survive even inside a divided society shaped by war and ideology.

Sadly, the director Bahram Beyzaie passed away last month on December 26. As well as a filmmaker, he was also a playwright, theatre director, researcher, and ostād ("master") of Persian literature, mythology, and Iranian studies.