Les Oiseaux de papier

Iranian Kurdistan is located in the northwest of the country, along the border with Iraq. It is a very poor mountainous region and known for being a a hotbed of cigarette, alcohol and clothing trafficking. The villagers there are exploited by mafia gangs to smuggle contraband between the two countries, across the mountains. They take deadly paths dangerous, passing through the peaks of more than 4,000 meters of the Zagros Mountains, in carrying goods. These smugglers are called "kulbars", and Every year, several dozen of them die, victims of Iranian border guards, antipersonnel mines, avalanches or harsh winters of this region. In The Paper Birds, Jalal, known as the Engineer, is recruited to participate to one of these expeditions in the company of men from his village. A small A troop is formed and undertakes the dangerous journey. A drama then unfolds between the members of the expedition who die one by one, while a young woman from the village weaves a tapestry while waiting for Jalal to return. This first fiction by Mana Neyestani is a gripping human drama, full suspense, which also tells a story of honor killing and the terrible daily life of the inhabitants of these regions forced to take insane risks to ensure their subsistence. A co-edition here and there / ARTE editions