The White Meadows
A mysterious collector traverses Iran’s islands gathering human tears in a stark, haunting allegory of power, grief, and obedience.
Overview
A haunting journey through a world where tears are currency and sorrow is a way of life.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Dense
- Violence
- None
- austere
- eerie
- contemplative
- focused cinephile viewing
- quiet evening
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a visually stunning, challenging art-film allegory whose mesmerizing imagery outweighs reservations about its ending.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Rahmat's collection of tears across isolated islands and the totalitarian regime evoke an indirect critique of institutional power.
Rahmat performs an unexplained official task for years while the purpose of the collected tears remains mysterious.
The journeys through Lake Urmia, sand, stone, and remote islands are emphasized as mesmerizing visual experiences.
The inhabitants' tears are physically collected, transforming private sorrow into the film's central recurring object.
Films like The White Meadows, and why
The Circle
shared allegorical drama, austere imagery, and surreal confrontation with oppressive authority
The Wind Will Carry Us
shared Iranian art-cinema tradition, symbolic storytelling, and contemplative humanism
The Turin Horse
shared Kafkaesque atmosphere, political allegory, and visually rigorous minimalism
A Man Escaped
shared poetic visual language, existential themes, and encounters shaped by authoritarian social systems
Movie Details
- Director
- Mohammad Rasoulof
- Release Date
- 2009-09-19
- Runtime
- 92 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (32)
Cast
- Hassan Pourshirazi
- Younes Ghazali
- Mohammad Rabbani
- Mohammad Shirvani
- Omid Zare
- Mohammad Rabbanipour
Common questions
- What is The White Meadows about?
- A mysterious collector traverses Iran’s islands gathering human tears in a stark, haunting allegory of power, grief, and obedience.
- What is The White Meadows like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The White Meadows as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as dense.
- Is The White Meadows violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The White Meadows.
- What did critics think of The White Meadows?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a visually stunning, challenging art-film allegory whose mesmerizing imagery outweighs reservations about its ending.
- Which films are like The White Meadows?
- Films with a similar feel include The Circle, The Wind Will Carry Us, The Turin Horse, and A Man Escaped.
- How long is The White Meadows?
- The White Meadows runs 92 minutes.
