Before Summer Ends

After studying for five years in France, Arash still doesn't feel at home and decides to return to his native Iran. His friends Hossein and Ashkan don't want him to go, so they organize a camping trip—both to show him the beauty of France and perhaps as a way of saying goodbye. They reflect on life far away from their birthplace, they laze in the sun and get drunk. We learn that Hossein and Ashkan also miss their home country, but they cannot return, in part due to Iran’s mandatory military service; Hossein has also recently gotten married. In whatever case, they must make choices. In this meandering and melancholic road movie, the last days of summer also reflect the end of the freedom to put off making decisions. It’s a film about friendship, but also about the tragic fate of people forced to leave their country, and who never really feel grounded anywhere else.