The opening of Majed Neisi’s film shows his seven brothers and his sister laughing and dancing at his cousin’s wedding in Ahvaz in south-west Iran. But this is just the public face of a family in crisis.
His elder brother Mohammad had become a heroin addict who would vanish for weeks at a time. After the party, he disappeared and nobody would talk about him.
In a country where honour and reputation are paramount, a drug-addicted child is a huge stigma. ‘My mother hated the disgrace and prayed for his death,’ said Neisi.
Middle East: A drug addict in the family
Helen Fitzwilliam describes an Iranian filmmaker’s quest to find his brother, the heroin addict
The World Today
Published 1 August 2021
Updated 30 July 2021 — 3 minute READ
Image — Majed Naisi holding a portrait of his elder brother, Mohammad. Credit: David Modell
