"There's an 800 kilometer border between Iran and Afghanistan"

The mention of an 800 kilometer border between Iran and Afghanistan by Mohsen Makhmalbaf evokes a landscape marked not only by its geographical proximity but also by its rich and often turbulent historical, cultural, and political interactions. This boundary, stretching across rugged terrains and desert expanses, is more than a simple demarcation; it is a space fraught with exchange, conflict, migration, and intertwined destinies. Across this line, countless stories have emerged, of people seeking refuge, families split apart or reunited, and goods flowing both ways, legal and illicit.

The shared border underscores the interconnectedness of two nations whose fates have often been linked. Afghanistan’s political instability, especially in recent decades, has sent waves of refugees across this boundary, turning Iran into both a sanctuary and, at times, a reluctant host. Conversely, the border has served as a conduit for cultural influences, persianate traditions, language similarities, and shared religious practices, that traverse more easily than armies or governments dictate.

Yet, the border also stands as a symbol of division. It delineates different national narratives, systems of governance, and social realities. The line on the map reflects the attempts to control and administer movement, of peoples, ideas, and resources. It represents a policy challenge, especially in times of crisis: how to manage refugee inflows, how to tackle cross-border smuggling, or how to address the humanitarian needs that do not respect artificial separations.

Moreover, the border’s existence reminds us of the arbitrariness and, sometimes, the permeability of human boundaries. Inhabitants on both sides may share more in common with each other than with their respective distant capitals. For artists and thinkers like Makhmalbaf, this stretch of land is equally a metaphor for the possibilities and limitations inherent in our efforts to define and separate ourselves, a place where identity, belonging, and otherness are endlessly negotiated against a backdrop of history.