“Abadan 1160” is a remarkable Iranian film, directed by Ebrahim Hatamikia, which explores with sensitivity and intensity the personal and collective dramas caused by the Iran-Iraq war. The title refers directly to the city of Abadan, a symbol of resistance and destruction.
Saddam Hussein launched a full-scale invasion of the Islamic Republic on September 22, 1980. The eight years that followed resulted in the deaths of 400,000 people and the injury of 1.5 million. Iranians are still dealing with the aftermath of this devastating conflict. The reason it is considered an “imposed war” is that shortly after the success of the Islamic Revolution, both the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to support the invasion. Iran received aid from Pakistan, Syria, China, North Korea, and, surprisingly, Israel.
The goal was not to occupy Iran entirely, which was impossible, but to weaken Khomeini’s leadership to the point where Iranians would rise up in revolt. In reality, the response of the population was far from one of revolt but one of support and solidarity. In the pre-conflict period, there were rumors that something was being planned, that Iraqi leaders were planning an invasion, but the Iranian authorities, some of them, ruled out the possibility of a conflict.
Between August 26 and September 22, various incidents took place on the border and in the airspace, culminating in an attack on the helicopter carrying the then Iranian president, Abolhassan Banisadr. He was convinced of the imminence of a war, but he did not have the necessary authority to impose his ideas, as evidenced by the fact that in the midst of the war (June 22, 1981) he was dismissed by religious forces. When the Iraqi troops initiated the attack on the border, the Iranian forces were much smaller in number and did not have the necessary equipment.
The film
Abadan is a city located on the border with Iraq and has access to the Persian Gulf. In its northeast is the town of Khoramshahr, where much of the conflict took place. The atmosphere of the war is mainly conveyed through visual references, in the distance, to the city that was on fire, from which clouds of smoke were rising and from where explosions and gunfire could be heard. The inhabitants of Abadan and the workers of the city’s radio station are not immune to the gunfire, however, and in time they will find themselves on the front lines of the conflict.
Bahrman, played by علیرضا کمالی (Alireza Kamali), is the director of a radio station that is particularly important for informing and protecting civilians as well as for the morale and organization of the soldiers. He and the other employees refuse to evacuate and stay to continue their work as long as possible. They monitor the Iraqi advance and witness the helplessness and lack of equipment of the Iranian soldiers, but urge resistance by any means.
Aspects that can be analyzed in detail are the role of women in that war and the way in which they are portrayed in Iranian cinema. The two main female characters, Nargess, played by Vida Javan and Maryam, played by Sabnam Gudarzi, play important roles in establishing the resistance on the airwaves and carrying out their final mission.
Hasan Majuni brings to life with great skill and depth the character of Musiu Edik, the station’s technician and sound engineer. He returns to the country because of the conflict, eager to help, and is a bridge to the pre-revolutionary past. Hence the references to Vigen’s music, and also why he is the only one wearing a tie.