Blackboards

Is there anything more cinematic, or poignant, than the image of a group of nomad teachers wandering around the mountains of the Iran/Iraq border with blackboards on their backs? For someone who was only twenty when she directed it, Samira Makhmalbaf made a film that director twice her age have been unable to create themselves, a poignant work which emphasises small details and makes them extremely meaningful. Its a tremendous achievement.

Blackboards has an interesting premise, setting and historical backdrop, and a realism typical of new wave Iranian cinema. It seems to meander though and stop a bit short of Halabja, both literally and figuratively speaking. Occasionally thought-provoking or slightly touching but never follows through on anything.

Hideous. I hoped it to be somewhat interesting but this annoyed me to death. Maybe because it's another culture, but I can't understand why they had to say everything 10 times.

An interesting film, fascinating in it's modest and somewhat mysterious being.

Nicely narrated. issues in Iran were devastating for the people.