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★★★
Written & Directed by: #BijanDaneshmand
Starring: #BijanDaneshmand, #TahmouresTehrani, #MarjanehSabouri, #MehdiAbbaspour
Episodes watched: 3
Following the funeral of Zeenat in Tehran, her son Reza has found an old letter from Daniel, asking to connect with Reza's brother, Javad, claiming to be his son.
Captured entirely through a series of online video calls, this intriguing drama from Bijan Daneshmand ignites into a sprawling story of family and discovery. The Bahramis is an eight-episode web series that follows the tribulations of a twisted net of uncertainty in the bloodline of the leading character Reza (played by writer and director Daneshmand).
During the Coronavirus pandemic that put the world into lockdown for most of 2020 and bleeding into 2021, creative forces have propped up from countries everywhere with the might to prove that filmmaking and artistry can never be dampened. The spirit within this area of entertainment has been inspiring and surprising to say the least. Whether it meant shooting in low numbers, with limited cast and crew, or recording Zoom calls and piecing the puzzle together, stories have continued to be shared. It’s no different for Daneshmand and his web series The Bahramis, which is an untangling of family drama in a format most accessible to the general public. Split into eight parts and available to stream for free on YouTube, this series unfolds in a slow-burn and gently takes its characters on a journey that wouldn’t perhaps be as affective in a feature made for the big screen.
This cast does a fabulous job of making this fictional story come across as real. For a moment, I forgot I was watching a series and was taken in by the genuineness portrayed in the performances. There are many moving pieces and that is evident by episode two; a lot of characters are introduced, referred to and intercut within the story where necessary. This can, unfortunately, make The Bahramis feel overstuffed and convoluted, which was the case for me. Though it’s clearly an important project for Daneshmand and he’s done fantastic work putting all of this together with minimal “flare,” it can be a fairly unrewarding watch.
But to create something on this scale — a series released for free on the internet — is praiseworthy. Family issues are one of the most relatable topics for a film or series, and to have it take place over a space of roughly four hours makes sense. Though not perfect, The Bahramis is a good investment of your time, should you be interested in the complications and mystery of bloodline and relation, and projects crafted within the confines of homes during a very difficult period of lockdowns and uncertainty.
Watch the trailer for The Bahramis below:
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