IT RAINS IN MY VILLAGE (1968) - fall on to me, the sky's crimson tears...the tragic blood that is invisible to the naked eye

Her name is Gotza, and she can rightfully be categorized as a “simple-minded” mute. Those less understanding and more dismissive might refer to her as the “village idiot”. Gotza gets kicked off of a train for not having a ticket, too entranced by the people onboard and the amazing way the landscape rapidly changes outside of the window to care about the logistics of how the train operates. She is harshly told that “this is a train, not a looney bin”. In response, she blows kisses and waves at the passengers, as if celebrating the momentary connection they shared.

Gotza is invited to a wedding and enchanted by what she sees. She borrows the young bride’s veil and dons it, dancing as if it was her wedding song playing. They jest at this deluded simpleton, not realizing that her day is indeed coming. As it happens, Tricha the pig herder is being scolded by his peers. They wonder why he has yet to marry, and claim that he doesn’t even know "where to stick it”. He shows them, however misguidedly, by marrying Gotza. To Tricha, marriage is a perfunctory ceremony. However, to Gotza, marriage is a form of magic. She dances amongst the pigs as Tricha plays the trumpet. She is entranced by both the rhythm and the promise of unrequited love. Gotza never looks down upon the pigs as disgusting animals, nor as a necessary part of a profession, but rather as fellow inhabitants of the earth.

Along comes a teacher from the city, looking to paint portraits of the locals. Reza is bored with the bustling metropolis, looking to “capture the lives” of several poor villagers. She becomes intrigued with Tricha and uses him as a subject, both physically and aesthetically. After all, it helps a painter to know a subject both from near and from afar. Once she finishes her painting, she quickly moves on to another object of inspiration, a man that crashes in on a plane; a much more exciting figure than a simple pig farmer. She coldly sends Tricha on his way. He walks home, dejected, his shoulders slumped in abject failure.

While Tricha herds pigs yet again, a slave to his profession, Joska again dances amongst the pigs. “Go away” says Tricha. He has seen the grass on the other side and has resultantly regretted marrying the town simpleton. Noting that the man that caught Reza’s eye came crashing in on a plane, Tricha gets a tattoo of a rudiementary plane on his chest in one last vain attempt to impress her. Reza laughs at this naïve country "simpleton" and goes on her way, back to the city where she can sell her artworks portraying "life in the country". Meanwhile, Tricha remains a pig herder, haunted by both his foolish actions and the face...that face...of Gotza. Where as Tricha’s motivations are tragically understandable despite their selfishness, Gotza’s motivations remained pure throughout. Regardless of those who decided to cynically take advantage of her, she did it for love...all for love.