Exodus

Since Iran opened its borders to refugees of the SovietAfghan War in 1979 it has become home to as many as 25 million Afghans half of whom are undocumented When renewed US sanctions in 2018 caused a currency collapse in Iran the vulnerable population of migrantsoften working as lowpaid labourers in harsh conditionswas severely affected by the recession Now large numbers of them want to return home Bahman Kiarostami the son of late acclaimed director Abbas Kiarostami sets up his camera in a Tehranbased facility processing thousands of illegals leaving the country The migrants are asked surprising personal questions about everything from religion to drugs to family issues With a Wisemanesque flyonthewall observation of these surprising interrogation sessions Kiarostami paints a kaleidoscopic empathetic and often humorous picture of the Afghans place in Iranian society and their reasons for leaving it