Voter poem. (Now Playing).('Secret Ballot')

As I write, U.S. Congressional election campaigns are well underway. The cynical, of course, may be inclined to view these as exercises in futility. But if you're so inclined, I suggest you look to an unlikely source for electoral inspiration: Iran, as portrayed in a striking new movie.

Secret Ballot, an import from Iranian writer-director Babak Payami, is a lovely consideration of the democratic process from the viewpoint of a country that has only recently taken its first baby steps in that direction. You'll hardly find American-style freedoms in Iran, but among those working to democratize the ruling theocracy through the nascent electoral process, you'll find a passionate appreciation for the right to vote--an appreciation too often lacking in our own country.

As in much of Iranian cinema, overt political messages are safely hidden under the guise of a simple parable. Secret Ballot follows an idealistic female election agent (Nassim Abdi) as she is escorted by a skeptical soldier (Cyrus Ab) to collect votes on a remote desert island. The film has the tranquil pacing and measured framing of a travelogue. Often keeping his camera at a discreet distance from the actors, Payami permits scenes to drift along at a pace just slow enough to allow the viewer to grasp the deeper meanings that exist in even the simplest actions.

Consider the film's opening scene, in which a large wooden box parachutes to the ground from a passing plane. A soldier slowly drags the ungainly item from one side of the frame to the other--giving its mysterious contents more import with each step--and then, maddeningly, leaves it unopened as he wakes his fellow soldier (Ab) to tell him it's his shift. Only then is the crate unsealed, revealing a ballot box and other voting paraphernalia--manna, or at least democracy, from heaven.

The election agent, who soon arrives by boat, certainly regards the box's contents as dear. Young and educated--just the sort of person pushing for political reform in Iran today--she's soon darting about the island ...