Iron Island on AllMovie

An abandoned ship anchored in the Persian Gulf offers refuge to a number of homeless Iranian squatters seeking sturdy shelter in this whimsical drama from Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof. Presiding over the makeshift hostel is the stern but fair Captain Nemat (Ali Nasirian). A tireless authoritarian with genuine affection for his charges, the patriarchal captain assumes a wide variety of responsibilities that span the spectrum from matchmaker to supervisor as the residents scour their makeshift home for scrap metal that will bring in some much-needed cash. It seems that the only inhabitant of this makeshift town not to bend to Captain Nemat's every whim is Ahmad (Hossein Farzi-Zadeh), a rebellious youngster with eyes for an attractive young lass (Neda Pakdaman) whose overprotective father keeps her on a decidedly short leash.