Name: Khake Sar Beh Mohr
Genre: Drama
Released: 2024-10-02
Duration: 1 h 30 min
Rating: 6.7
Cast: Flora Shabaviz

Masterful debut feature of quiet feminist anger

The first Iranian feature directed by a woman, though this has never screened (legally) in Iran; it's director left the country, smuggling the film out and finishing up the editing in the USA. I'd love to know more about that story, as the film was made before the revolution and as far as I know isn't any more radical or transgressive than some other works from the period which did get passed. Anyway, it's the story of a young woman struggling to find her own identity and some kind of freedom in a repressive, highly patriarchal ancient village. The village is made of mud and stone and looks like it could be a thousand years old, but it abuts a newer town that has cars, telephones, TV, etc, and the girl dreams of a way into that world - but seemingly has no way out of her life, which will soon include an arranged marriage. 

This is just beautifully shot, using as far as I can tell all natural lighting (the indoor and night scenes are very, very dark) and the style and in some ways the content are reminiscent of Chantal Akerman's "Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles" - which had only played commercially in Europe a year before this film was made. It seems hard to imagine that Nabili could have seen Akerman's work, but there is nothing else that comes to mind as a reference. Most of the film is composed of long, static shots, and the young woman's pain and struggle are almost entirely internalized, with rare moments of rapture when she is able to be alone, out in the green grasses and undergrowth by a nearby river. Apart from one remarkable sequence that symbolizes the peak of feeling and despair, the film is entirely in long or medium shots - no closeups. Like Akerman's film, it's "minimalist" in the sense that most of what we learn about the protagonist is going to come out of our own feelings and explorations - what is shown is very simple, on the surface. Near the end, there is finally a sign to others that all is not well, but it seems unlikely that anything will come of it... 

A remarkable, poetic and beautiful debut film, this would be even better if a decent copy were available - as it is there is only a 20-year-old VHS that has a rather soft image and is possibly cropped. But still very much worth seeking out for those interested in Iranian or feminist cinema or in the conflict of old and new worlds.

Persian-language (primarily Iranian) cinema is acclaimed for poetic allegory, moral depth, and inventive ways of navigating censorship. It often uses non-professional actors, minimalism and symbolism to explore moral dilemmas, social issues, and the human condition under political constraints.

Leila Hatami and Payman Maadi in A Separation (2011)

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)

In pre-revolution Iran, a village girl's rejection of marriage and defiance of dress codes leads her family to believe she's possessed, prompting them to consult an exorcist.

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