The Rain Falls Where It Will

Do we prolong life or death by trying to keep a dying family member with us as long as possible? Iranian filmmaker Majid Barzegar’s latest film is inspired by contentious medical-ethical concerns. The viewers make up their own minds. In the opening scene of The Rain Falls Where It Will, nurse Sara decides it is time to euthanise her friendless patient. She calmly adds a drug to the intravenous line, just like she does with the other hopeless cases she encounters. However, everything changes on a new assignment. Is it truly this comatose man’s last week? Sara talks to concerned family members and cares for her patient in stylish shots that sometimes last minutes, thus lending this Iranian drama intimacy. Barzegar finds space for both melancholy and hope, mixed with a pinch of the supernatural. (International Film Festival Rotterdam)