The Lovers’ Wind
Directed by Albert Lamorrisse
Written by Roger Lachant
1978/France/Iran
IMDb page
First viewing/YouTube
“And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair”
― Khalil Gibran, The Prophet
Experiencing the director’s vision of pre-Revolution Iran was rendered almost impossible by a very bad YouTube print.
The film looks at the landscape and life of Iran, mostly by helicopter. It is narrated by a benevolent wind who is fighting with his malevolent brother. We see the effects of wind in the Iranian desert and on the Iranian people.
The film was commissioned by the Shah of Iran who was a fan of Lamorisse’s great films White Mane (1953) and The Red Balloon (1956). The documentary was filmed in 1970. Reportedly, the Shah was not pleased with the result. The Shah was more interested in showing off his modernization efforts than the beauty of his country. In the event, it was futile to try to find beauty in the YouTube print I watched.
Lamorrisse was killed in a helicopter accident during filming.
