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Poll

What's your favorite film by Mohsen Makhmalbaf?

haven't seen any
1 (8.3%)
don't like any
1 (8.3%)
other
0 (0%)
The Cyclist
0 (0%)
Once Upon a Time, Cinema
0 (0%)
The Actor
0 (0%)
Salaam Cinema
2 (16.7%)
Gabbeh
0 (0%)
A Moment of Innocence
5 (41.7%)
The Silence
1 (8.3%)
Kandahar (aka. The Sun Behind the Moon)
2 (16.7%)
The Afghan Alphabet
0 (0%)
Scream of the Ants
0 (0%)
The Man Who Came with the Snow
0 (0%)
The Gardener
0 (0%)
The President
0 (0%)

Total Members Voted: 12

Author Topic: Makhmalbaf, Mohsen  (Read 4075 times)

MartinTeller

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Makhmalbaf, Mohsen
« on: October 26, 2010, 12:39:40 PM »
1. A Moment of Innocence
2. Salaam Cinema
3. The Silence
4. Gabbeh

5. The Gardener
6. The Cyclist
7. The Peddler
8. Marriage of the Blessed

9. Kandahar
10. The Afghan Alphabet

11. The School That Was Blown Away by the Wind



I want to see all of his work.  Moment of Innocence is brilliant and full of surprises.
« Last Edit: December 28, 2019, 08:51:57 PM by MartinTeller »

pixote

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Re: Director's Best: Mohsen Makhmalbaf
« Reply #1 on: October 26, 2010, 12:47:59 PM »
I've only seen Gabbeh and Kandahar. Not comfortable voting for either.

Very anxious to see The Cyclist, for semi-obvious reasons, as semi-obscure reasons go.

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sdedalus

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Re: Director's Best: Mohsen Makhmalbaf
« Reply #2 on: October 26, 2010, 01:19:42 PM »
Haven't seen any.
The End of Cinema

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flieger

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Re: Director's Best: Mohsen Makhmalbaf
« Reply #3 on: October 26, 2010, 02:48:54 PM »

Bill Thompson

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Verite

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Re: Director's Best: Mohsen Makhmalbaf
« Reply #5 on: October 26, 2010, 07:12:36 PM »
I've only seen Gabbeh and Kandahar. Not comfortable voting for either.

Very anxious to see The Cyclist, for semi-obvious reasons, as semi-obscure reasons go.

Since you're a fan of Close-up, you should definitely see A Moment of Innocence.
"When in doubt, seduce."
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1SO

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Re: Makhmalbaf, Mohsen
« Reply #6 on: August 26, 2011, 11:05:59 AM »
1. Salaam Cinema
2. A Moment of Innocence
3. The Cyclist

4. Gabbeh
5. The Peddler
6. The Silence
7. The President
8. Kandahar
« Last Edit: July 30, 2019, 01:10:50 AM by 1SO »

Sam the Cinema Snob

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Re: Makhmalbaf, Mohsen - Director's Best
« Reply #7 on: May 22, 2014, 10:42:04 AM »
Salaam Cinema (1995)

What is cinema? The ontological question can be approached from a plurality of perspectives, from the nature of its physical being to the loftier ideas of its place in the art world. Salaam Cinema is an answer to the question through an enactment of ideas. Instead of presenting a definitive idea of what cinema is, the film collects a swath of ideas that constitute cinema.

First and foremost, cinema is an obsession. As a car drives through the throngs of people gathered to audition for a role in Mohsen Makhmalbaf’s film, the passion and desire to be in the movies is almost irrational in its fervency and power. And as Makhmalbaf talks to many of these actors throughout the film, the people have a deep love of the cinema, and they might have an compulsion to be in his film.

Cinema is also a form of wish-fulfilment. The people in the film all desire to be in the movie, and by creating a movie about casting the film, Makhmalbaf uses this examination of cinema as also a way to realize the dreams and aspirations of those who come to try to be in the film. Cinema becomes a place where dreams can become a reality.

Likewise, cinema is a place of play. The entire film has people act out scenarios or fulfill commands as Makhmalbaf calls them. These loosely structured commands quickly enter the realm of child-like play, such as when Makhmalbaf pretends to shoot down all the actors in a mock action sequence.

The cinema is also subjugation. As Makhmalbaf commands these orders, he exhibits power in a way that might be abusive. He commands people to cry on will and then demeans them when they are unable to do so, which occasionally results in tears. His manipulation to get what he wants to see can often come across as cruel. In many ways, this evokes the scene in Abbas Kiarostami’s Homework where, during an interview, he brings a young child to tears .

Makhmalbaf eventually gives two young actresses his spot in the director’s chair, having them interrogate the next group of women. Placing them in power demonstrates that the ultimate worth and value of what is seen on screen is also judged by the audience. Eventually the director must relinquish control and cinema becomes the domain of the viewer.

It’s also worth speculating at how the film poses itself as a documentary about a casting call, but it becomes unclear whether or not everything is truly a document. Is Makhmalbaf able to induce some of these reactions on the fly or is he getting these people to act out a story he’s already fabricated? Certain moments seem too coincidental to be uncontrolled moments of reality,

Salaam Cinema is the kid brother of Close-Up, the complex documentary by Kiarostami about a man posing as Makhmalbaf. Many of the ideas of cinematic obsession and cinema as wish-fulfilment are explored in a more tightly controlled and nuanced space in Close-Up. In contrast, Salaam Cinema is a loosely structured, more playful exploration of many of the same ideas and an equally provoking piece of cinema.

1SO

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Re: Makhmalbaf, Mohsen - Director's Best
« Reply #8 on: May 22, 2014, 01:25:29 PM »
I like how in Iranian culture, the people are there out of a love for cinema and not a more selfish desire to be famous. They think they may have something to contribute, though they don't know what it is. It's more elusive than swimming pools and luxury cars.

Another difference hammered home by the film is the reality that most countries don't have a pool of talent. If they want to make a movie they have to put their trust and investment in people who have never appeared before a camera before and probably have never acted at all. This requires a completely different skill set than if Taste of Cherry starred Sam Rockwell or Gary Oldman. Casting is crucial.

I hope one day Salaam Cinema is held in as high a regard as Close-Up. Availability is probably the biggest hurdle. It's currently my #105 of All Time.

Sam the Cinema Snob

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Re: Makhmalbaf, Mohsen - Director's Best
« Reply #9 on: May 22, 2014, 01:44:03 PM »
Yes, it's a shame that the film is so hard to find. It really should be spoken of in the same breath as Close-Up. Hopefully, it gets a release down the line.