Orizzonti review - WEDNESDAY, MAY 9 by Vahid Jalilvand

Baffled by the kindness of strangers. WEDNESDAY, MAY 9 is the feature film by Iranian filmmaker VAHID JALILVAND and was presented in the ORIZZONTI section of the 72nd VENICE FILM FESTIVAL.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 9 marks the feature directorial debut of Iranian filmmaker VAHIND JALILVAND. It is essentially the story of three intertwining lives, and revolves around a benefactor who puts an ad in the local paper, offering a large sum of money to anyone who might seriously need it. 

Two of the contenders for the cash, out of the hoard of people that gathers at the meeting where the interviews to assign the money will be carried out, are also the two whose lives we follow. One is a woman who needs the cash to pay for her husband's brain operation, and she is quite stirred to find that the mysterious good soul is a man who she was once to marry. The second female is one who must pay to get her husband out of jail, after he is imprisoned due to an altercation with the woman's family that will not welcome him as her husband. 

Their stories are examined, the younger woman's one with more care than the other two's, and lead up to a third part in this powerful drama which poses the question of whether or not society truly ever accepts such big and random acts of kindness. Such a theme also welcomes the reading of the film as very universal. Nevetheless, examinations of other elements, such as outdated Iranian traditions as obstacles in the way of young lovers, or the predominantly male driven mentality that subbornly lessens female role in the Iranian society also give WEDNESDAY, MAY 9 a local feeling.

The director's filmmaking approach is realistic and a times seems directly influenced by documentary filmmaking. This is also evident in the handheld cinematography, but also by JALILVAND's choice of using a cast half made of non professional actors. 

The storyline of the young woman, secretly married to her sweetheart and going against her family's wishes is slightly more developed than the one of the other two, and this unevenness is made all the more obvious by the choice to keep her story separate, and rather than having all three intertwine. In the end, this only slightly affects the power and the intention of the feature; it doesn't necessarily feel like a film within a film. 

There is also a maturity in the portrayal of the characters and their intentions that is always quite admirable in a first feature and allows the audience to understand their individual motives, even the ones that are not so easy to understand or side with. This is also because WEDNESDAY, MAY 9 ponders upon humanity, and even scolds the way in which society is so suspicious about kindness, possibly because it is not used to it at all.