AllMovie

A man and his wife encounter some unanticipated delays en route to a religious shrine in Iranian director Alireza Raisian's 2002 drama The Deserted Station. As he drives his car to the holy city of Mashad, a young photographer applies his trade and snaps photos of various sites and locations. Further down the road, the car breaks down -- forcing the man to walk in search of someone to make the necessary repairs. His wife (Leila Hatami), who has been sleeping most of the trip, awakens and goes with him. Arriving at a nearby village, the husband is directed to the local schoolteacher, who apparently is just as gifted with cars as he is with children and agrees to help. As the two men leave, the wife -- who is a former teacher herself -- wanders into the school building to watch after the children. As the photographer's wife begins forming a genuine bond with the children, the schoolteacher and the photographer also develop a rapport as each teaches the other something about their chosen trades and how those trades relate to the greater good of each man's community. The Deserted Station was selected for inclusion into the 2002 Montreal World Film Festival, with Hatami's performance earning her a Best Actress award from the festival's jury.