The Pear Tree (1998)

Mahmoud (Homayoun Ershadi) is a successful writer and intellectual who retreats to his family's rural estate in order to overcome a severe case of writer's block. While there, he begins to contemplate his life, comparing it to a pear tree in the yard which has stopped producing fruit. From there, the film chronicles Mahmoud's memories of the past, including his love towards his adolescent cousin and his fervent hopes for the future. A searching examination of the Iranian middle class, as well as a touching insight into the frustration and ambition of a man trying to hold onto the dreams of days gone by, 'The Pear Tree' also marks the debut of internationally acclaimed actress Golshifteh Farahani.