Film Review: The Secret Ballot

The film was suggested by the director, Mohsen Makhmalbaf (Kandahar, The Day I Became A Woman). In The Secret Ballot, director Babek Payami introduces fundamental voting paradoxes in a democratic process.

In the remote desert of Kish, an Iranian woman, the Election Agent (Nassim Abdi) arrives by boat to gather votes because it is Election Day. She immediately hands documents to the soldier (Cyrus Ab) on guard, which states her sole purpose to gather votes. From the start, the two do not get along. He was expecting a man, not a woman to be the Election Agent. As a soldier, he must submit to the document’s orders. Nonetheless, he assists the Election Agent in her task. By the end of the day, the soldier and the Election Agent learn to respect each other.

In a yellow jeep, they search for voters. On occasion, they come across various characters, some more willing to vote than others. They encounter a man traveling with several women with him in a truck. The enthusiastic Election Agent wants the women to cast ballots for themselves. The man, however, wants to vote on behalf of them. Within this group is also a girl who is twelve, legally old enough to wed, but not old enough to cast a ballot.

Later, a solar technician refuses to vote for anyone except God because he believes that only He controls man’s fate. In his mind, politicians are incapable of such feats. Besides, he does not know anyone on the list the Election Agent has desperately tried to explain to him. After their failed visit, the soldier drives to a rural community. The soldier and Election Agent split their tasks between the adobe homes. She looks for the matriarch, Granny Baghoo; he looks for the workers. When they meet again, the Agent realizes that Granny Baghoo does not have to vote because she is the government. Whatever decisions need to be made is handled within the community. Her people believe they are self-sufficient. Voting is futile to them. Only they can improve their lives, not any politicians. Representation in national politics is a foreign concept in Granny Baghoo’s community.

Throughout the film, Payami utilizes objects to smoothly prove his point. The Election Agent always carries her white, big box to stuff the votes wherever she goes; no matter how hot the weather becomes, how difficult the voter is the Election Agent continues to believe in democracy. The soldier’s questions lead to a debate over just how fair the democratic process actually is.

In the middle of nowhere, they approach a red traffic light. The Agent wants the soldier to run through the red light. No one has appeared for miles. But, the soldier patiently waits for the light to change. This scene is a metaphor for the rural Iranians who believe that they are exempt from the rules of democracy. They still apply to everyone regardless of how remote the place. Payami takes a kind eye on fairness in the end. His film is intentionally slow paced; sophisticated, and alluring, capturing many complexities involved in a fledgling democracy.

The Secret Ballot

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