Taste of Cherry

Mr. Badii, apparently Iranian, tells the young Kurdish soldier he has picked up in his car that he wants him to bury him if he finds him dead. He adds, "I'm not mad." (0:24)

The Afghan man tells Mr. Badii, "I felt down." (0:45)

Mr. Badii tells the Afghan man, "There comes a time when a man can't go on... suicide... I've decided to free myself from this life." The Afghan man tells him, "Suicide is wrong." (0:48)

Mr. Badii says, "I've decided to swallow all my sleeping pills tonight." The Afghan man counters, "The Koran says you shall not kill yourself." (0:53)

The Turkish man, Mr. Bagheri, has agreed to return as Mr. Badii requested, but he tells him he wants him to talk about his problems first. Mr. Bagheri tells Mr. Badii the story of his own determination in 1960 to kill himself. He says after numerous attempts to hang himself from a Mulberry tree he tasted some of the berries, realized the beauty surrounding him, and abandoned his plan. (1:01)

Mr. Bagheri tells him, "Your mind is ill... be optimistic." (1:08)

Mr. Bagheri tells him, "Don't. I'm your friend. I'm begging you." Mr. Badii seems to become anxious. He asks Mr. Bagheri to throw stones at him to make sure he is dead before he buries him. (1:12)

Mr. Badii leaves his apartment. We see him lying in a hole. His eyes close, and we hear the sound of rain. The next day we see his car, which he had left with Mr. Bagheri, driving back to the site. (1:32)

Does Badii kill himself? Why does he want to? Does the film tell us anything about cultural attitudes toward suicide among men from the four countries represented? Ironically, in a film made at a time when suicides most frequently reported in the media would seem to have been committed by Muslims, an apparently devout Muslim tells Badii the Koran says it is wrong.

suicide