The indifferent relentlessness of nature when pitted against the inhabitants of a small Iranian town near the border of Afghanistan serves as an allegory for the situation faced by the inhabitants of the Middle East in their confrontation with destiny. This film, by Iranian exile Amir Naderi (who also produced and directed the better known film The Runner) focuses on the experiences of a boy who has come back to his village, only to discover that it has been horribly devastated by drought and its inhabitants are fleeing this lakeside village which has become a desert. Against all reason, the boy attempts to stay.

~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide