Gesher

The Persian Gulf at the site of the world's largest natural gas field; a tiny workers' town and a gas refinery, a man-made hell between stark mountains and the cool sea. While the educated come for short stretches and big money, the workers are less fortunate. Gesher follows three workers who share a disused gas pipe for shelter - the welder concerned to meet his family obligations, regularly sending home money hidden inside stuffed toys; the toilet cleaner who purifies himself in the waters of the Gulf; and the handsome young driver who, in echoes of Crimson Gold, chafes under class divisions, places he cannot enter and clothes he cannot afford. The industrial landscape, in its terrible beauty, is exploited to the max, reflecting director Vahid Vakilifar's ambivalence towards industrialization and the wealth it brings to some while dwarfing others.

Australian Premiere

• Awards New Horizons Award, 2010 Abu Dhabi Film Festival