The Need (1992)

Set in Tehran during the aftermath of Ayatollah Khomeni's death, 'The Need' depicts the life of young, fatherless Ali as he attempts to enter manhood. Struggling to balance his work with his home life, Ali works as a labourer by day and studies by night to spare his vulnerable mother the need to support his schoolwork. When he is offered a lucrative placement in a printing works, he realises this could be his ticket out of his menial construction job. However, he is not the only one vying for the position, and a bitter rivalry soon ensues between Ali and his eager competition, someone who has as much to gain, and lose, as Ali himself.