Chaleh (2009)

Genres - Drama  |   Run Time - 100 min.  |   Countries - Iran  |   MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Mark Deming

A repairman does honest work but uses less than reputable means to bring in business in this comedy from Iran. Gholam Reza (Mostafa Tari) is an elderly man whose life was turned upside down when an earthquake hit his village, claiming the life of his wife and devastating the community. Remarried to a younger woman and living in small town in the desert, Gholam has found a lucrative new business. Gholam has long made his living as an auto mechanic, and he's set up a garage near a highway that passes through the desert. Gholam has dug a massive pothole into the road, and when travelers hit it, they almost always suffer some damage to their vehicles; Gholam then comes to the rescue, ready to fix their cars for a reasonable fee. All is well with Gholam until a local politician discovers the pothole and sends a road crew out to fill it up. What can Gholam do to keep the pothole in place without arousing suspicion? Chaleh (aka The Pothole) was the first feature film from writer and director Ali Karim.