Suddenly a Tree is a story about the love of Farhad’s life. Young Farhad falls in love with his classmate Suzanne, and his love lasts a lifetime. Farhad grows up into a kind young man who writes poetry and bakes cookies for his mother Homa. At the outbreak of the Iranian Revolution, he attempts to leave the country with Mahtab (meaning “moonlight,” Farhad’s nickname for Suzanne) and friends. Unfortunately, they get caught and arrested. Farhad takes all the blame and goes to prison, and for six years he is interrogated about his past. After his release, he returns home to Homa and Mahtab and starts a new family again. Four years later, with pregnant Mahtab and Homa, Farhad goes on a trip to Rasht, a place they’ve longed to be for a long time.
There are layers of time that coexist in this film. To a psychiatrist he meets to overcome his trauma, Farhad begins to tell the story of his past. His story includes the memories of what he told his interrogators in prison. And then there are illusions and stories that Farhad tells his daughter who may or may not have been born. This beautiful and heartrending film is filled with the stories of Farhad’s childhood, told like a humorous and fantastic fable, his sufferings in prison, shown in a concise and minimalist manner, and his endless imagination of the future, all combined with the short time he spent with Mahtab. Payman MAADI, the recipient of the Silver Bear for Best Actor in Leading Role at the 2011 Berlin Film Festival for his performance in Asghar FARHADI’s A Separation, stars in the film as Farhad and shows impressive acting skills once again. (PARK Sun Young)