IDFA 2007
Mohammad and the Matchmaker
Maziar Bahari
England
2003
29 min
n.a.
Episode from the BBC series World Weddings, in which the 47-year-old, single HIV patient Mohammad looks for a bride. An explicative and interpreting voice-over
accompanies the story. Mohammad's doctor and good friend Arasj introduce
Mohammad to a 21-year-old widow, who has also been infected with HIV. She
contracted the virus from her husband. Mohammad contracted the virus from a
contaminated needle when he was still a heroin addict. Mohammad's frankness
about his former addiction is quite unusual in Iran, despite its large number of
addicts: he even shows the place in the park where he used to sleep. Arasj also
speaks with a current addict, while the latter shoots up. We witness the first
tête-à -tête between Mohammad and his potential fiancée ("Do you beat your wife?"
"Never." "That's good."). After the chat, Arasj interviews both. She has
problems with the age difference and his past addiction. Moreover, she is
seriously depressed about her own future: "I either want to die in the next 4 or
5 years, or get cured." Mohammad also has his doubts. Later on, he meets a
33-year-old divorced woman via Narcotics Anonymous, the relief group for
ex-addicts he attends. In Arasj's presence, they contract a 'provisional
marriage' with a clergyman - which Mohammad celebrates by buying a new pair of
sunglasses.
Credits
Screening copy
BBC
BBC
World Sales
BBC
BBC
Director
Cinematography
Production
Executive producer
Editing
Involved TV Channel
BBC
BBC