Café Transit (2005)

I shed my shell and ventured off to the University District in downtown Seattle to catch a movie from the International Film Festival. I’m just oozing with culture, I know. Anyway, I figured by doing so, I was not only supporting independent movies around the globe (which, by the way, are stupendously better than Hollywood on all counts) but also, in this particular case, supporting Iran’s (my native country) submission.

Café Transit (English Title: Border Café) was surprisingly better than I could have ever imagined. The acting was superb, the storyline was feverishly well-developed and the conflict was — for lack of a better term — simply gut-wrenching. All in all, the movie was tremendously entertaining.

“Its central theme is the role of women in male dominated societies. Its heroine, Reyhan, has just become a widow, with two small children to take care of. Her deceased husband’s brother, Nasser, offers (in the local tradition of that part of Iran) to look after her by taking her as his second wife. Reyhan, however, is an independent woman and, spurning Nasser’s offer, decides instead to re-open her husband’s unsuccessful diner. This puts her in direct competition with Nasser, who owns a much bigger and successful diner. As her diner gradually builds up a fervent following, the tension between her and Nasser rises; particularly when a Greek truck driver takes a liking to Reyhan” [corrosion-2, IMdB]

Overall, I definitely recommend this movie to all indie-loving aficionados. However, if you’re iffy about subtitles and prefer to watch The Rock or anything directed by Michael Bay — you might want to skip this one.

Adieu. Navid.