Greed and power are the principal themes in Kianus Aayari’s tale about two brothers in 1970’s Iran. When the National Iranian Oil Company expands its drilling operations in the region, one family finds themselves displaced from their home and cast adrift in the south of the country. The compensation paid by the NIOC sets the brothers against each other, and the ensuing conflict threatens to unravel the unity of the entire family. A brilliant account of familial adversities set against the backdrop of Pahlavi Iran, ‘Beyond The Fire’ is a stunning example of storytelling within a historical context and an excellent piece of cinema.
