Kejal

Risking their life, they climb on narrow mountain paths every day, carrying 40 kg of goods on their back. Every mistaken step may chance upon a landmine. They are hunted like wild animals. And in the name of what? To earn just 10 dollars a day!? They are called kulbars. What is a kulbar, you may ask. The Iranian authorities regard them as smugglers. The extremely poor Kurds regard it as a traditional profession which keeps families fed and alive. They do not regard it as crossing the Iran-Iraq border – for them, it is all Kurdistan. Abusing their power, Iranian border guards kill tens of unarmed kulbars every year. Some of them are blown up stepping on mines. International human rights organisations have condemned the violence, but to no avail. This is a painful film. Kejal, a young Kurdish woman studying at Tehran returns home when her brother is killed in the mountains, leaving behind debts for lost goods. Forced by circumstance, Kejal becomes a kulbar – a woman in a men’s world. In a world where a woman aspiring towards independence has to be particularly strong. This drama with elements of suspense tells a story about suppressed but proud people who carry their life on their back. Most of them play themselves in this film. It is a rare opportunity to take a look at something you don’t normally see. Tiit Tuumalu