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A Dragon Arrives! (Ejhdeha Vared Mishavad)
by Maria Rippe

Mani Haghighi Iran 2016

What connections do the  mysterious death of an exiled political prisoner, a geologist, a sound  engineer, and a detective have in the film A Dragon Arrives! These  people all play a role that will add to the film’s mystery. The film begins  with an investigation into the death of the exiled political prisoner who was  found in an abandoned ship in the middle of a desert island. Rumors  suggest that, once a body has been buried in a certain area, the earth opens  its jaws wide. Conveniently this is the area that Hafizi (Amir Jadidi) and  Detective Charaki (Ali Bagheri) bury the body. After some strange and  unsettling events, it becomes clear that this case has more to it than  initially thought. Hafizi enlists the help of his friend and actress Shahrzad  (Kiana Tajammol) to help him bring together Keyvan, the sound engineer (Ehsan  Goudarzi), and geologist Behnam (Homayoun Ghanizadeh). The trio set out to  solve the mystery of the political exile, and end up uncovering more than just  a few mysteries to add to their quest.

This film is one that leaves you in  wonder. The characters present the story in a way that has you questioning  if it is truth or fiction. All the way through the film you are reminded that  this story took place in reality, but the way in which it has been filmed also  makes you question that reality. At first did not think I would enjoy this  film, as it was hard to understand where the film was going, and to determine what  the actual story was. Thankfully, within the first twenty minutes, I came  to understand the rhythm of it, and started to become integrated. The film  sets out to answer the question about what happened to the "exile"  and, in doing so, creates more questions along the way.  These questions  haunts even as the film ends. For a story that seems to be straightforward and  to offer simple answers, it definitely takes you on a wild ride. This adventure  that the three undertake brings them closer together in ways they were not  expecting, and tears them apart through unforeseen events. It's also  interesting to see the actual people involved in the story and in the making of  the film. This insertion of the actual story makers helps to remind the viewer  of the event’s reality and offers an interesting subplot within the film. This  film with all of its twists and turns will definitely leave you wanting more,  but you will only be left wondering what happened?