“Leila’s Brothers” Red Carpet at The 75th Annual Cannes Film Festival

At the head of all these useless, parasitical males is their ageing father, Esmail (Saeed Poursamimi) – a whining, self-pitying schemer, addicted to opium, and obsessed with becoming “patriarch” of his extended clan, a position that has fallen vacant with his cousin’s death. The cousin’s son Bayram (Mehdi Hosseinina) tells him the patriarch’s metaphorical crown could be his – as long as he pays 40 gold coins as a marriage present “tribute” at Bayram’s son’s forthcoming wedding. Greedy, foolish Esmail agrees – because he has the coins and knows that the patriarch’s unofficial perk is taking a secret “cut” from any and all marriage gifts at future weddings.

May 25, 2022 | 5:09 pm