Life as a herder is hard and solitary, but 80-year-old Firouzeh loves the ever-changing nature, the hard life and her faithful cows. She hikes across the rugged landscape, lugs bundles of wood and still nimbly climbs trees. Beloved follows this strong-minded woman in her work across the seasons as she tells the story of her life, with work and fate as the dominant themes. When she was a young girl, a marriage was arranged for her with an older man, with whom she had 11 children. But not one of them comes to visit her now. Spending the winter in the lowland village, she makes fervent efforts to get closer to her kids. Nevertheless, she looks forward to the prospect of spending another summer in the mountains with her cows, ignoring the well-meaning advice that she should simply retire. This striking portrait captures one of the last female herders working in the traditional way, an indomitable woman who ultimately chooses independence. The colours of nature – also a protagonist in the film – leap off the screen.
Yaser Talebi was born in Sari, north Iran, in 1982, and is a film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. He is famous as a creative director and aesthetic expert. He travels around his hometown meeting its people and exploring the environment, history and culture of the different regions. He is also an active member of the Iranian Documentary Filmmakers Association (IRDFA).
Forgotten Positives (2002), The Isolated (2003), Blessing (2008), A Nightmare We Committed to Ourselves (2010), Potable Water (2012), No One Cares about Jungles (2013), Sky Isn’t Empty (2015), Beloved (2018)
