"Rafigh Pooya – best known internationally for his multi-award winning documentary “In defense of People” and locally for his management and programming of the much lamented fox International theatre in the 80’s – has two issues on his mind here. First, to examine the toll the world political maneuvering takes on the lives of real people ... Secondly, to draw specific attention to Azerbaijan ... he succeeds on both counts ..."

In 1990, as the Soviet Union teeters on its last legs, Jeff (Peter Reckell), a.k.a. Jafir, a thirtyish filmmaker based in san Francisco, travels to Baku, on the soviet side of the now-partitioned former nation of Azerbaijan, to do research and shoot footage for a long-planned film about how his mother’s life was affected – well, ruined, actually – by Western powers’ political manipulation of her homeland.

As he searches fir relatives, he comes upon a university student named Jayran (Fatima Ibragimbekov) who so resembles his mother that he hires her  to be in his film.  She also functions as his interpreter, since he remembers almost no Azerbaijani from his youth.  There is a growing affection between the two, but Jeff is already involved in a long-term relationship back home.  And he begins to wonder if he can afford to extend his trip, as the KGB has developed an unpleasant interest in his activities, and Jayran may be caught in the middle.

Rafigh Pooya – best known internationally for his multi-award winning documentary “In defense of People” and locally for his management and programming of the much lamented fox International theatre in the 80’s – has two issues on his mind here. First, to examine the toll the world political maneuvering takes on the lives of real people with little or no say in their fates. Secondly, to draw specific attention to Azerbaijan, a country whose historical travails are essentially unknown in the west.  Despite some technical roughness – much of the movie was shot on location in soviet Azerbaijan – and some distracting soundtracks choices, he succeeds on both counts, as well as giving us a perceptive peek into a culture we’ve barely even heard about. If anything, the film whets the appetite for a full documentary about Azerbaijan to provide more detail than Pooya could fit within his fictional framework.