Special Jury Award in Berlinale Encounters

Aliyar Rasti’s debut feature mounts to a road trip turning allegory that begins with a man dreaming of a box of gold waiting for him at the end of a cave. Curbed by his religious belief that it is not permissible to go after it himself, he employs the assistance of a non-believer and together they embark on a long journey across the Iranian landscape in pursuit of a miracle. Their treasure hunt soon also turns tempting for those they meet along the way. The film is an allegorical breakthrough, a play of hide and seek between faith and human frailty.

“A rigorous realist fairy tale that follows two men on a journey that they might never come back from, but from which they’ll be forever changed. A vision of Iran both beautiful and desolate, bustling and quiet.” The Film Verdict

“Like a roadtrip version of Waiting for Godot Rasti utilizes the vintage aspects of fable to present a fractured portrait of contemporary morality.” Ioncinema