| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| starmekitten |
Posted - 05/10/2005 : 06:38:45
There's a series of Iranian films showing on channel 4 over here at the moment and because I didn't get much sleep last night I decided to watch the ones that were on, THROUGH THE OLIVE TREES and WHERE IS MY FRIENDS HOUSE?
Such sweet and simple films and yet so complex at the same time,
WHERE IS MY FRIENDS HOUSE? is simply the story of a boy who realises he has taken his friends exercise book home by mistake and knows he has to return it or his friend will be expelled, only he doesn't know where his friend lives just that it's in the neighbouring village.
THROUGH THE OLIVE TREES was a little confusing because it's about trying to make a film after the earthquake and the perspectives were a little muddled at the start, they use ordinary people for the filming (within the film) and it causes a lot of complications for the film maker, the story that comes into it that amused me though was about a guy who wanted to marry the girl chosen for lead but had been turned down over and over, he chases her and she ignores him. The end sequence is so ambiguous and at first that annoyed me, but on reflection I suppose it's better not to know.
I don't know if these have already been mentioned in the other film thread, but I thought if anyone gets the chance to see any of these they really should.
http://www.channel4.com/film/filmontv/microsites/C/cinema_iran.html
[edit] they're on quite late but tonights films are THE APPLE and A MOMENT OF INNOCENCE, the descriptions of them on the website look interesting.
 I imagine you kind of hopping up and down like an angry badger |
| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| floop |
Posted - 05/10/2005 : 19:32:19
i've seen clips. it's a very funny film. in an unintentional way |
| starmekitten |
Posted - 05/10/2005 : 19:28:48
Alphie and Bibi, two sweet, naive youths from Moose Jaw, Canada
not a chance
I imagine you kind of hopping up and down like an angry badger |
| floop |
Posted - 05/10/2005 : 19:27:15
back then 1994 seemed like a long way off, ok |
| starmekitten |
Posted - 05/10/2005 : 19:26:30
Musical set in the 'future', e.g. 1994. I have read enough!
I imagine you kind of hopping up and down like an angry badger |
| floop |
Posted - 05/10/2005 : 19:24:31
easy there kiddo. i was young in the 80's too. maybe not a zygote like you, but pretty young. damn it!
i've actually never seen the film, but it looks pretty great
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080380/ |
| starmekitten |
Posted - 05/10/2005 : 19:20:17
no floop, not an eighties film, I wass very young in the eighties so obviously miss your reference :P
THE APPLE was quite funny actually, a poor sighted father and a blind mother had twin daughters and through fear and religious belief the children were kept locked up for the first twelve years of their lives. The neighbours wrote to the welfare people who intervened, took the girls out and washed them and cut their hair and insisted that the girls be not locked in anymore. The father who survived on donations and his fear kept them locked in but decided to teach them to cook and to clean. While he was out getting bread and ice the welfare lady came back and found the girls locked in, so when the father gets home she locks him in the house and sends the children out to play. The contrast between the father and these two girls was great, at one point he is singing about how it is time for his death and how he is glad to die while these girls are giggling and sticking their tongues out. The girls go out and make friends and get into trouble while the welfare woman insists the only time the weary father can come out is if he saws through the bars. According to the website the father and girls are the real people of this story, and this film was directed by a 17 year old girl. Amazing.
A MOMENT OF INNOCENCE was another beautifully bizarre film. The director himself was an activist in his youth and stabbed a policeman and went to prison, when he came out of prison he wrote books and made films and was auditioning for his new film when the very policeman he stabs comes into the audition room. He abandons his plans for his film and decides to make one about the different perspective of the stabbing from his and from the policemans. The film begins when they pick the younger version of themselves and walk them through the events surrounding it, the two boys are not to meet until the stabbing itself. The "twist" or sub-story actually made my jaw drop a little, and if there's a chance any of you will see this I won't give it away, and I hope for all involved it was a blurring of the truth here. Sounds heavy but really isn't in fact it's bloody clever, and they send each other up well.
there, thats me done for tonight (I hope)
I imagine you kind of hopping up and down like an angry badger |
| apl4eris |
Posted - 05/10/2005 : 17:21:34
I saw a few Iranian films several months ago that I can't remember the names of now. One that I really was blown away by involved a young blind boy and his sister, his father had decided he was a lost cause due to his handicap and left him to be trained by a blind carpenter in another town, rather than go to school with his sister. Some of the moments were pure gold. The imagery is stunning. I also had never imagined such a beautiful land existed in that area. It was in the mountains, and very lush.
Really wish I could remember the title, and the other films. They were most likely all on IFC (Independent Film Channel in the states).
 Let the Klugman revolution begin! |
| floop |
Posted - 05/10/2005 : 16:13:04
quote:
Originally posted by starmekitten
yes you should!
do the spanish know how to make films? I mean are there any?
hehehe
off to watch (or fall asleep in front of) THE APPLE now, if I had the energy I could set the video, but that would mean finding a tape and going downstairs and figuring out the channel and... effort
bed goooood.
I imagine you kind of hopping up and down like an angry badger
THE APPLE as in the bad 80's movie? :) they always have midnight showings of that at this theatre around here. it's become kind of a cult favorite that people like to go watch and make fun of.
i'd like to see more Iranian cinema. i've saw Abbas Kiarostami's THE WIND WILL CARRY US and couldn't really get into it, despite all the rave reviews. i know he is highly regarded by a lot of people i respect though, so i'm curious to check out more..
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| starmekitten |
Posted - 05/10/2005 : 16:06:22
yes you should!
do the spanish know how to make films? I mean are there any?
hehehe
off to watch (or fall asleep in front of) THE APPLE now, if I had the energy I could set the video, but that would mean finding a tape and going downstairs and figuring out the channel and... effort
bed goooood.
I imagine you kind of hopping up and down like an angry badger |
| whoreatthedoor |
Posted - 05/10/2005 : 12:50:23
I mean, do they know how to make movies in Iran? 
Looks like I should watch one of those films.
El amor es la distancia más larga entre un punto y otro |
| kathryn |
Posted - 05/10/2005 : 12:26:35
why?
 I still believe in the excellent joy of the Catholics |
| whoreatthedoor |
Posted - 05/10/2005 : 12:09:42
When my mother asked me to go with her to watch an iranian film, I totally freaked out.
El amor es la distancia más larga entre un punto y otro |
| Scarla O |
Posted - 05/10/2005 : 07:54:13
They played some music from an iranian band called 127 as part of this season on channel 4 - they didn't play an awful lot but what i did hear sounded pretty great :) |
| offerw |
Posted - 05/10/2005 : 07:46:08
The best Iranian film I saw and which I think put their film industry on the map was Children Of Heaven www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:158666
You're fortunate to have a TV channel which puts on quality films.
wilhelm |
| kathryn |
Posted - 05/10/2005 : 06:46:33
There was just an Iranian-film fest and I missed it! : (
I still believe in the excellent joy of the Catholics |
