A metaphor came to mind towards the end of Saeed Roustaee’s film Leila’s Brothers; that of quicksand. I couldn’t help but think of the film’s characters, of this family, as people who sink deeper every time they try to liberate themselves from oppressing poverty. There are dreams, there are bubbles, but every time they come close, the bubble bursts. Of course, Roustaee’s film is set in Tehran, Iran’s capital, and yet this film could play out in many other countries in the world. In fact, the story does . . .

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