Walnut Tree

Maryam was fully aware of the dangers posed by the chemical exposure, yet she chose to continue the pregnancy and give birth. The doctor reveals that she had already decided to name the baby Zhina, meaning "life," before her death. She viewed the birth as an act of hope and resistance against the tragedy surrounding her, wanting to bring new life into a world devastated by war.

Maryam's decision to name her daughter "life" hints at her philosophical stance on perseverance amid destruction.

Qader kept the deaths secret to spare Maryam from additional grief during her difficult pregnancy. He wanted to protect her from the devastating news while she prepared to give birth, bearing the weight of the losses alone. This decision reflects his desperate attempt to shield her from further trauma in an already catastrophic situation.

The secret creates a heavy burden for Qader that compounds his grief throughout the film.

The children suffered severe injuries and exposure from the mustard gas bombs dropped by Iraqi forces. Despite Qader's desperate efforts to keep them alive in the makeshift hospital, one by one they succumbed to their injuries and the harsh conditions. The chemical exposure proved fatal for all three children aged seven to eight.

The bombing of the village marks the beginning of the family's tragic downfall.

After Maryam died during delivery, Qader went to the hospital to fetch Zhina, but the facility was overwhelmed by the chaos of war. Newborns were transferred to other cities for safety, and in the ensuing confusion, Qader lost track of his last child. The hospital system failure meant he could never reunite with his daughter.

The hospital's disarray during the bombing sets the stage for the final separation.

Years after the attack, Qader was called to testify at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, about the use of chemical weapons and weapons of mass destruction used during the Iraqi bombardment of Sardasht. His testimony gave a personal voice to the human cost of those weapons, representing the victims of the attack.

The courtroom scene connects personal tragedy to international war crimes.

Zhina means "life" in Kurdish. Maryam chose this name before her death as a powerful statement, naming her daughter after the very concept she was fighting to preserve amid so much death and destruction. The name represents hope, resilience, and the continuation of life despite overwhelming tragedy.

Maryam's choice of name foreshadows the film's central theme of choosing life in the face of annihilation.

Maryam died during the delivery of her fourth child. Already weakened by the effects of the chemical exposure from the bombing, her body could not survive the stress of childbirth. The doctor explains that she was fully aware of the risks but chose to proceed with the birth anyway, sacrificing herself to bring new life into the world.

Maryam's death completes the tragic arc of loss that began with the bombing.

Qader buries his wife Maryam alongside their three children beneath a walnut tree in the village. This act creates a physical memorial for his entire family in one sacred place. The walnut tree becomes a symbol of grief, memory, and the rootedness of his loss in the land he cannot abandon.

The burial location anchors the family's story to the village throughout Qader's lifetime.

Qader spent decades searching for Zhina after she was transferred to another city during the hospital chaos, but he never found her. The wartime displacement of newborns, lack of proper records, and the passage of time made it impossible to trace her. He died in 2016 without ever seeing his daughter again or learning her fate.

The unresolved search for Zhina defines Qader's remaining years.

In summer 1987, Iraqi forces targeted the Kurdish city of Sardasht in Iran with mustard gas bombs, a chemical weapon that causes severe respiratory damage, blisters, and often death. This was one of the first large-scale chemical attacks on a civilian population, devastating the city and killing thousands, including many in the border village where Qader's family lived.

The attack sets the entire tragedy in motion.