In the film, makhmalbaf, together with his son maysam, travels to the bahai gardens in israel, one of the central holy places of the bahai faith. The poetic trilogy gabbeh 1996 the silence 1998 the gardener 2012 a collection of the iranian filmmakers movies, comprising his poetic trilogy remy. The bahai faith is explored by iranian fatherson filmmakers mohsen and maysam makhmalbaf busan the gardener marks the first time in decades perhaps since the iranian revolution in 1979. An awardwinning film exploring the question of religion through the eyes of a humble gardener and the fatherson filmmakers who are there to. The president 2014 film wikipediathe president persian. Using the beautiful bahai gardens in israel as a backdrop, from the very beginning of the film makhmalbaf and his son maysam set out to learn. Experimental docudrama, openended essay, and a remarkable movie j. The gardener credits the beauty and serenity of the garden to. Mohsen makhmalbafs films include closeup, a moment of innocence, the day i became a woman, the nights of zayandehrood. He has studied cinema for over 8 years and started working in movies from a very young age. The religion, which has been the subject of persecution in iran, teaches the value of faith as a unifier for all people independent of their origin, their skin color or gender. Mohsen makhmalbaf is known as one of the most influential filmmakers and founders of the new wave of iranian cinema in the world today.
The lack of facilities, censorship control on cinema equipment and the difficulty of working with nonprofessional and local. The gardener documentary iranthe gardener documentary iranby richard kuipersa makhmalbaf film house production. Maysam makhmalbaf producer, director of photography, editor. This is due to the fact that the film continues to be screened in theaters and act as a conversationstarter and create dialogue between the spectators of diverse backgrounds in a. Makhmalbaf was jailed in 1974 at age 17 for stabbing a policeman as recounted in his semidocumentary masterpiece a moment of innocence he was released during the 1979 iranian revolution and. The gardener, mohsen makhmalbafs most recent creation, was filmed in israel in the cities of haifa and jerusalem. The cyclist goes into an unscrupulous deal with a con artist with the passion to save his wife by waging with the con artist that he can stay on his bike for seven 7 days. Makhmalbafs films have been widely presented at international film festivals in the past ten years. The gardener is a surreal film made using documentarystyle techniques via the cameras of father and son the makhmalbafs who go to israel to. Buy tickets, get box office information, driving directions and more. He has a degree in managment from cass business school. He encourages his confused son to look deeper into the gardeners behavior, and observe his state of meditation while he works. But filmmaker mohsen makhmalbaf wont stop asking tough questions. Recently i had a chance to see the gardener, the new film by renowned iranian director mohsen makhmalbaf.
Iranian filmmaker mohsen makhmalbaf and his son, maysam, explore the bahai faith. Iranian progressives in translation about the gardener. The president tells the story of a dictator who comes face to face with the people he previously subjugated. This is due to the fact that the film continues to be screened in theaters and act as a conversationstarter and create dialogue between the spectators of diverse backgrounds in a communal setting. First of all the contents were proliferated with the georgian culture and gave views of the countryside and the people of all ages. This dvd movie was produced in countries of georgia and germany. The gardener, mohsen makhmalbafs inquiry into religion. Makhmalbaf replies that he is more interested in showing this gardeners story. Gala presentations include mohsen makhmalbaf s the gardener september 10, 2012. He has made more than 20 feature films, won some 50 awards and been a juror in more than 15 major film festivals. Oct 14, 2012 the gardenerdocumentary iranthe gardenerdocumentary iranby richard kuipersa makhmalbaf film house production. While still an adolescent, he dropped out of school to form an islamic militant group and join the clandestine fight against the shahs regime. The former teenage islamist militant began making films in his twenties, shortly after his release from prison during the 1979 iranian revolution. This weeks new york opening of mohsen makhmalbaf s the president corinth films premieres one of best iranian movies yet seen.
With ririva eona mabi, paula asadi, bal kumari gurung, ian david huang. Mohsen makhmalbaf is an iranian film director, writer, film editor, and producer. The end of the movie does not seem to have a resolution in any conventional sense. The landlord has evidently evicted khorshids mother from their home, and khorshid has been fired from his job. Of course i had followed the news about it, and knew about the subject human rights in iran and specifically, the followers of the bahai faith there. The 50th edition of the international film festival of india goa, indias biggest international film festival, has selected.
T his weeks new york opening of mohsen makhmalbaf s the president corinth films premieres one of best iranian movies yet seen. Golden award from the beirut international film festival, lebanon, 2012 mohsen makhmalbaf dedicated the award to all those people who are working around the world for peace and who are striving to prevent wars which are the causes of destruction committed in the name of god. The gardener is a poetic film made using documentarystyle techniques via the cameras of a father and. Its story of a despot mikheil gomiashvili caught in the midst of a revolution, who escapes his countrys futuristically designed capital city to traverse the underdeveloped. The gardener is a documentary film delivered by mohsen makhmalbaf in all honesty, humility and candor that demonstrates once again his genius in filmmaking. The gardener is a surreal film made using documentarystyle techniques via the cameras of father and son the makhmalbafs who go to israel to learn about a religion bahai faith that they dont know much due to its taboo status in the country of both the filmmaker and the faiths birth iran. An award winning documentary film by mohsen makhmalbaf. The gardner, a documentary by mohsen makhmalbaf iran press. Aug 09, 20 in the gardener, mohsen makhmalbafs documentary about bahai shrines and religious belief, his image is reflected in a mirror held by ririva eona mabi, the gardener of the title.
The gardener, an awardwinning film of acclaimed iranian director mohsen makhmalbaf is being considered for an oscar nomination among 150 other eligible films in the documentaryfeature category. In his documentary the gardener, the iranian filmmaker mohsen makhmalbaf debates the role of religion in holy sites of the bahai faith. The gardener is a poetic film made using documentarystyle techniques via the cameras of father and son the makhmalbafs who go to israel to learn about a religion bahai faith that they dont. Makhmalbaf traveled to the jerusalem film festival with the movie, prompting the head of irans official cinema organization both to denounce. As the father accompanies a gardener from papua new guinea. Represented by makhmalbaf and his son, various points of criticism are discussed within the course of the gardener. The movie is about a little boy who has the onerous task of earning money for his family, but is always enchanted and distracted by music. Filmmaker mohsen makhmalbaf and his son, maysam, explore the bahai.
This weeks new york opening of mohsen makhmalbafs the president corinth films premieres one of best iranian movies yet seen. Praised by film critics worldwide, i was curious to see makhmalbaf s latest offering. The gardener has screened in more than twenty film festivals, won two awards and is makhmalbaf s third film entry to the academy awards. Mohsen makhmalbaf the poetic trilogy trailer hd youtube. Find gardner cinemas showtimes and theater information at fandango. As the president, his new satire about a toppled dictator living in disguise. Many of his films like salam cinema, a moment of innocence, gabbeh, kandahar and the president have been widely well received across the globe and have brought him over 50 international awards from the prestigious. Busan film festival gives voice to exiled iranian directors september 28, 2012. Makhmalbaf has a long list of movies and awards under his belt including films such as kandahar and the day i became a woman, and his latest the gardener. Taken at face value, mohsen makhmalbaf s the gardener, which opens at the gene siskel film center this friday, is lightweight stuff. One of the preeminent figures of iranian cinema, mohsen makhmalbaf has written and directed an impressive array of acclaimed films, winning accolades at international film festivals and admiration of world cinema audiences. Samira makhmalbafs directorial debut at age seventeen blends a fictionalized plot over a shocking reallife tale of two sisters imprisoned by their parents.
Mar 04, 2019 perhaps the most significant aspect of the film is the different attitudes towards the subject matter. The gardener exiled iranian filmmaker mohsen makhmalbaf and his son maysam debate the personal and political roles of religion in entertaining docu the gardener. If anything, makhmalbafs own religion seems to have more to do with filmmaking itself, which, he says in the gardener, is the extension of his eye, a kind of meditation. The gardener, mohsen makhmalbafs inquiry into religion the. Reza fani yazdi, a former political prisoner and activist in exile calls makhmalbaf s film, the expression of a transformation not only in his mind and ideas but in the foundations of thought in iranian society. The gardner, a documentary by mohsen makhmalbaf iran.
The gardener mohsen makhmalbaf watch online once upon a time, cinema press tv, irans english channel, first reported the film calling him a fugitive filmmaker. After watching these three films, and the accompanying interviews with the director, youll realise just how clever im being. Find films and movies featuring mohsen makhmalbaf on allmovie. It shows the iranian filmmaker and his son maysam visiting the. Meanwhile his son maysam rejects the concept of religion all together and goes out to jerusalem where he comes across the sacred sites of jews and christians where he finds many similarities with the islamic society he grew up in. Official page of the gardener by multiaward winning director mohsen makhmalbaf like for local screenings. Mohsen makhmalbaf was born in a poor neighborhood in southern tehran in 1957. The silence mohsen makhmalbaf 1998 writerdirector mohsen makhmalbafs shifting artistic intentions have always attracted scrutiny. It is directed by iranian film maker mohsen makhmalbaf.
The director belongs to the new wave movement of iranian cinema. Based on the bahai teachings, the gardener considers work as worship. The gardener mohsen makhmalbaf official trailer youtube. Asian cinema fund backs iranian exile makhmalbaf july 3, 2012. Aug 10, 2015 hes been jailed, poisoned, banned and bombed. He introduces us to the bahai faith through some of its disciples. Gardner cinemas movie times showtimes and tickets gardner. It is a journey about love, deconstructing religion and flowers. If anything, makhmalbaf s own religion seems to have more to do with filmmaking itself, which, he says in the gardener, is the extension of his eye, a kind of meditation.
A brutal dictators regime is overthrown as he attempts to get his family out of the country, but his young grandson refuses to leave the dictators side. The president is a modern fable about power, reconciliation, and the hope for breaking a neverending circle of violence, exploring the possibility of stopping violence after a revolution in search of freedom and democracy. As the revolution climaxes, the dictator and his grandson must flee for their lives as close allies turn on them and a. Mohsen makhmalbaf whom is busy making the movie the door on an island encounters many problems for making the movie with a 35 mm camera. It had its asian premiere at busan international film festival, its european premiere at rotterdam international film festival, and north american premiere at the vancouver international film festival. Taken at face value, mohsen makhmalbafs the gardener, which opens at the gene siskel film center this friday, is lightweight stuff. Internationally renowned iranian director, mohsen makhmalbaf, has made available to the general public his awardwinning film, the gardener. Mohsen makhmalbafs the gardener to compete for best. It had its asian premiere at busan international film festival, its european.
Filmmaker mohsen makhmalbaf and his son, maysam, explore the bahai faith, a religion which is forbidden in their native iran. At the very end, khorshid says he is going far away and tells the gypsy musicians to play the. The gardener a film by mohsen makhmalbaf with subtitles. It is the first film in decades to be made by an iranian filmmaker in israel. The president by mohsen makhmalbaf trailer youtube. It was most enlightening to see a dictatorship and the consequences presented by mohsen makhmalbaf.
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