“Money is all that matters”

The sentiment echoes throughout Behrooz Karamizade’s moving and melancholy debut, even though it is initially driven by love. Amir (Hamid Reza Abbasic) and Narges (Sadaf Asgari) are desperate to be together but tradition dictates that he needs to get together a hefty dowry before they can approach her parents. The Iranian-German director establishes the pair of them as sympathetic from the off as we see Amir lose his waiting job after taking a moral stance on something his boss wants him to do - a stand that Narges endorses.

With work hard to find, however, Amir has little option but to take a position at a far-flung fishery outside of the city where the work is hard and the moral waters distinctly murky. The day job is less than lucrative and thanks to Amir’s strong swimming ability - an attribute, like much here,...