What happens when a son meets with a father who has killed his mother? How does living cope with the loss of their loved ones? Cold Sigh is an answer to this. The movie includes believable characters and with appropriate setting. The one hour and twenty seven minute long film is directed by Nahid Sedigh. The movie explores the issues from relationship between father and son, to honor killing along with the confession of the inner psyche of characters. This is done with action rather than the use of deep conversation.
The story unfolds problematic father-son relationship in a linear plot with the confessional scenes of a murderer, Bahram. He is sentenced to twenty years in Koohak Prison. The story opens with Baha, a ritually guided individual who is a son of Bahram. He is emotionless and cold towards his father. Set in the snowy Iranian terrain, the characters align with nature. The communication gap between them eventually escalates to physical violence. There is a scene where a young naive boy remarks Bahram is a nice man. This dialogue reflects being nice and wrong are not absolute.
The honor killing is supposed to be prevalent in primitive society. While the film doesn’t explicitly specify the time setting, the presence of modern lifestyle indicates that the film is based in contemporary times. It is indeed worrisome to see a woman being killed and a man is remarked as honorable for killing her. The modern legal system has tried to prevent it by punishing the culprit with 20 years of imprisonment but the ripple effect seems to persist across generations.
The stark part of this film is its silent moment. The conversation among leads is rare, yet the audience gets submersed into its setting and suspense that is created by the question: Does the son take revenge? The portrayal of male ideology and the absence of female presence creates a one-sided representation of a male-dominated world. Awarded at the 13th Richmond Film Festival 2025 for the Best Film, Best Director and Best Cinema, Cold Sigh is going to be screened at the eighth Nepal International Film Festival (NIFF) from March 20-24.
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