Comma

Amin Haghighizadeh was 16 when his father decided that Iran was no longer safe for him, so he sent him from Tehran to the Netherlands. His father stayed behind and was murdered. This subdued documentary has filmmaker Amin telling about his lonely years in a refugee center and reflecting on homesickness and hope. He wonders if it was a good decision to come to the Netherlands, where he wasn't allowed to study or work, and where he had no friends or family. Now, 10 years, later, Amin has a residence permit and a place to live. He decides to travel to Iran to gain closure on his continuous homesickness and to see what has changed since he was a boy. Or is it only he who has changed? Alternating back and forth between static and handheld shots of daily life in the Iranian capital, Amin reveals an alienated and almost jealous view of his compatriots, who appear to feel at home there - it often seems as if there's nothing wrong in Tehran at all. Meanwhile, family and friends attempt to convince him that his father didn't send him to the Netherlands for nothing. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)