Samira Makhmalbaf's THE APPLE (Sib) & BLACKBOARDS (Takhte Siah)

Samira Makhmalbaf is the daughter of the famous Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf. She appeared in her father's great The Cyclist at the age of 7. Her first feature, The Apple, was part of the official competition at Cannes in 1998 (Un Certain Regard). Two years later at the age of 20, she became the youngest director at Cannes to compete for the Palm D'or for her second feature, Blackboards, winning her first Prix de Jury. She also recently directed the Iranian segment in the controversial collection of shorts films called 11' 09" 01. I don't believe there is another director in the world with such honors at this age. It certainly helps to be the daughter of the great Makhmalbaf but I can't help but feel that his shadow still looms large and in a way has hurt her to be recognized on her own.

Her debut The Apple was based on a true story, not one but many as it was (and probably is) a norm for poor Iranian families to hide their daughters in order to "protect" them from the world. In the film we see a social worker working hard to convince the father of the two little girls who've been trapped to let them out so they can experience life for themselves. Here the father is not shown as a cruel human being but as someone whose mindset is the product of the mullahs who have set political and social standards in that country for years with-out paying much attention to the true teachings of Islam. The film doesn't end with the girls just being free but we see their mannerisms and behaviors once they leave and how awkward they are. Makhmalbaf uses this as a metaphor for all women and seems to be asking a question as to when women are given a bit of freedom how else are they supposed to react, and the society instead to giving them time to develop and find themselves, blames them for being incapable to do so. The last scene shows their blind mother going out to look but instead after much distress finds an apple (used as a metaphor for wisdom).

For her next film, Blackboards, Samira Makhmalbaf moves towards a border like many of her contemporary Iranian filmmakers have done, but here it's not the Iran-Afghan border but the one opposite, the Iran-Iraq one and more specifically the one to the north, with "Kurdistan." Few Kurd teachers are seen roaming around with huge blackboards on their back looking for pupils to teach as bombing in their homeland have left them stranded. One teacher joins a group of refugees. Along the way they dodge the aircrafts flying over their head, border police, smugglers etc., but some of them do end up getting caught and either die or aren't able to move further. The teacher ends up getting engaged to the woman whose father is in bad shape and he wants to hands over the burden as the woman also has a son from a previous marriage. The film at times becomes a bit unrealistic as we are treated to some imaginary proclamations of love in this harsh journey but the Makhmalbaf's head is in the right place proven by the decision the engaged woman makes at the end , ultimately making her son the only man she needs at this point in the journey.