Julia Elihu’s affecting In The Garden of Tulips is a drama that takes hold of you and never lets go. A beautiful but aching film that shows the risks people will take for a loved one to be safe.
At the height of the Iran-Iraq War, Caroline takes a final car ride with her father through the Iranian countryside.
To begin with, In The Garden of Tulips, you are still determining the intentions or the goal of this car ride with Shaff (Iman Nazemzadeh) and his daughter Caroline (Ava Lalezarzadeh). There is a palpable tension and sadness shrouding them. As Shaff buys some fruit, Caroline breaks down for a second but manages to pull herself together. Whatever their goal is, it is not a short-term positive one. Caroline remains distant, and only when Shaff tries to alleviate the tension do we see the true dynamic between the two. There is a playfulness between father and daughter that immediately has you fall for them. Especially as they get increasingly into their song, that moment of joy does not last long.
Ava Lalezarzadeh’s script knows exactly when to hammer in the tension to an almost excruciating effect in the pullover scene. As we are not sure what is going on at the beginning, your mind runs through the options. It is only during that scene that everything starts to fall into place, and your heart sinks for the duo. They have a story that they keep to, but their suspicious body language may not betray themselves to the officer, but they do to the audience. She has found that skill in her script and thanks to Elithu’s direction to have us almost place ourselves in the position of this family. That this is a situation that could happen to anyone at anytime. We get to see the pain, the fears of what goes on in trying to free a family member, to give them their deserved chance somewhere else.
Sometimes, In The Garden of Tulips, it is just the expressions of both Nazemzadeh and Lalezarzadeh that cause the emotional damage, the looks to one another, and the gripping of their hands when driving. You are truly not prepared for how powerful simple moments are here in Julia Elithu’s film. There is a sensitivity to each performance that grips you. Lalezarzadeh seems to keep her Caroline as stoic as possible due to the fear that if she breaks down entirely in front of people, she will bring unwanted attention her way.
The last moment of Shaff in his car wrecks you, for he has done the only thing he can as a father, yet also the worst thing he can do as a father. He is protecting his daughter but won’t be there to ensure she stays safe. For Caroline, there is pain but determination; her father has done what he can for her, and she must ensure she succeeds. Their story is one of countless during that time in the region, which makes it all the more tragic that it was so necessary.
In The Garden of Tulips is an exceptional short that emotionally plays with you to great effect. Overflowing with tension and fear, it becomes a film of hope. With two phenomenally moving performances from Iman Nazemzadeh and Ava Lalezarzadeh, you would be doing a disservice to yourself not to watch it.
★★★★
The 19th HollyShorts Film Festival is running between 10th – 20th August with in person and digital screenings available through the 10th to 27th August.
For more information go to www.hollyshorts.com
Coverage of HollyShorts Film Festival 2023:
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