Bad-o Meh

Captivating images from pastoral northern Iran serve as a backdrop for Mohammad-Ali Talebi's enchanting tale of a boy rendered mute after losing his mother in the Iran-Iraq war. Ostracized by his classmates but doted over by his loving sister, eight-year-old Sahand--whose wan face and haunted eyes evince the unspeakable horrors he's witnessed--becomes obsessed with a wounded white goose. Making wondrous use of classic fantasy elements (the climax unfolds in a misty, magical forest), Wind and Fog is humanist film making at its most affecting.