''Blackboards'' (, ''Takhté siah''; ) is a 2000
Iranian film directed by
Samira Makhmalbaf. It focuses on a group of
Kurdish refugees after the
chemical bombing of Halabja by
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician and revolutionary who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 1979 until Saddam Hussein statue destruction, his overthrow in 2003 during the 2003 invasion of Ira ...
's
Iraq
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
during the
Iran–Iraq War
The Iran–Iraq War, also known as the First Gulf War, was an armed conflict between Iran and Iraq that lasted from September 1980 to August 1988. Active hostilities began with the Iraqi invasion of Iran and lasted for nearly eight years, unti ...
. The screenplay was co-written by Makhmalbaf with her father,
Mohsen Makhmalbaf. The dialogue is entirely in Kurdish.
Makhmalbaf describes it as "something between reality and fiction. Smuggling, being homeless, and people's efforts to survive are all part of reality... the film, as a whole, is a metaphor."
The film was an
international co-production
A co-production is a joint venture
A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint vent ...
between the Makhmalbaf Productions of Iran, the
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
companies Fabrica and
Rai Cinema, and the Japanese company T-Mark.
Plot
Following a bombing in
Iranian Kurdistan
Iranian Kurdistan or Eastern Kurdistan () is an unofficial name for the parts of northwestern Iran with either a majority or sizable population of Kurds. Geographically, it includes the West Azerbaijan province, Kurdistan province, Kermanshah pr ...
, schoolteachers wander from village to village in search of students.
One of them comes across a group of teenagers working as "
mules," smuggling goods across the border with Iraq. Despite the teacher's efforts, none of them is interested in learning—except for the young Rêbwar.
Another teacher meets a group of elderly men trying to return to their native land to spend their final days. One of them is traveling with his daughter, a young widow, and her son. The teacher decides to follow them.
Cast
*
Said Mohamadi as 1.Teacher Saeed
*
Behnaz Jafari as Halaleh
*
Bahman Ghobadi as 2.Teacher Rebvar
* Mohamad Karim Rahmati as Father
* Rafat Moradi as Pupil Rebvar
Awards
* "
Jury Prize", Official Competition section of the
2000 Cannes Film Festival, France.
* "Federico Fellini Honor", UNESCO, Paris, 2000.
* "François Truffaut prize", Giffoni Film Festival in Italy 2000.
* "Giffoni's Mayor Prize", Giffoni Film Festival, Italy, 2000.
* "Special cultural Prize", UNESCO, Paris, 2000.
* "The Grand Jury prize", American Film Institute, USA, 2000
References
Further reading
* Rosenbaum reviews ''Blackboards'' and notes parallels with the 1950 Western, ''
Wagon Master'', that was conceived, produced, and directed by
John Ford
John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), better known as John Ford, was an American film director and producer. He is regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers during the Golden Age of Hollywood, and w ...
.
External links
*
*
{{Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize
Iranian drama films
1999 films
1999 drama films
Italian drama films
Japanese drama films
Kurdish-language films
Films directed by Samira Makhmalbaf
Films about educators
Films set in Iran
1990s Japanese films
Cannes Jury Prize winners