“A Few Cubic Meters of Love” is a drama on migration and love directed and produced by Afghan brothers Jamshid Mahmudi and Navid Mahmudi who have lived in Iran for the past 30 years. The story of the film is set somewhere in the outskirts of Tehran, where a small factory illegally employs Afghan asylum seekers, who live with their families in old containers or modest shacks in nearby shanty towns. Saber, a young Iranian worker, secretly meets Marona, daughter of Abdolsalam, an Afghan worker. A love story unfolds. “A Few Cubic Meters of Love” is Jamshid Mahmudi’s debut film, which premiered at the 32nd Fajr International Film Festival in Tehran in February 2014. The film won him the Simorgh for best director in the New View section of the festival. “I would have felt bad had we not won any award at this event,” Jamshid Mahmudi said during the review session. “Because we did our best to make the film be warmly received,” he added.

The film is currently on screen at Iranian movies theaters. “The reason behind why Iranian people like this film, is that it is a real-life drama,” Jamshid Mahmudi stated. The film was selected to represent Afghanistan at the 87th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category, but was not nominated. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fqz41QkdG4c UNHCR about refugees in Iran: Iran is host to one of the world’s largest and most protracted refugee populations. […] The global economic downturn, removal of subsidies, and intensified international sanctions have caused hyperinflation, affected the delivery of basic services, and resulted in a dramatic rise in living costs in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Some 24 per cent of registered refugees are considered vulnerable, a rate that is expected to increase due to the economic situation. […] Sanctions also continue to negatively impact UNHCR’s ability to provide humanitarian assistance in an effective and timely manner. High inflation rates have substantial consequences for both the operation and partners. Comparison: Refugee numbers – GDP (nominal) per capita with richer and bigger regional neighbor country

Country GDP (nominal) per capita in US dollars Number of hosted refugees Iran 6,363$ 868,242 Saudi Arabia 25,962$ 550

Must read regarding Afghan refugees in Iran: https://theotheriran.com/tag/afghanistan/ Sources: Payvand News of Iran United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees The Guardian