Three members of an extended Afghan family start their lives over in Iran as refugees, unaware they face a decades-long struggle ahead to be “at home.”

Nearly 5 million Afghan refugees live in Iran, often with such tenuous legal status that any unexpected event could lead to forced deportation, family separation, or worse. Starting in 2001, these three stories elegantly and movingly capture the plight of people living their lives with hope and joy, but trapped under a state that constantly threatens police brutality, administrative violence, and armed conflict. In their feature debut, co-writers and directors Raha Amirfazli and Alireza Ghasemi dazzle as a new voice in Iranian cinema. But the lasting power of In the Land of Brothers lies in the indelible performances of its actors, whose humanity lends a specific perspective on the struggle of living as a refugee in Iran — but that will be recognizable around the world.—SS

This film contains discussion of sexual violence.

Available in person. Also available online for the public (January 25–28) and credentialed press and industry (January 24–28).