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Reviews
Rangeh eshgh (2004)
A timely, colorful documentary by Maryam Keshavarz
This documentary is a fresh look at Iran's social fabric. The director, Maryam Keshavarz, offers a lyrical portrayal of the men and the women in the film who discuss their views on love. Furthermore, "The Color of Love" tears down the (negative) Western perception of Iran that we receive daily through the news reports. When we look beyond the clothes, we see that young men and women of the East and the West have the same dreams and aspirations. For example, there was an interesting scene: During a religious holiday, some people go to the main square to mourn Imam Hossein (like a highly revered saint in the Christian tradition), whereas others go to the festivities to cruise and find a mate/spouse. The same scenario holds true in churches, where some church goers go to pray, while others go to meet their future spouse.
Maryam Keshavarz is a director to watch for.
Making Maya (2003)
Making Maya made a good debut for Rolla Selbak
This low-budget indie has more to offer than a typical coming-of-age lesbian movie. The focus of Rolla Selbak's movie is not Maya's sexuality, but mainly discovering herself -- what's her passion in life, what she wanna do for college, how to take care of her mother's addiction, and her feelings for a girl and/or maybe a boy next door (I am trying to keep it vague so i don't spoil it for you).
Basketball isn't my favorite sports, but Making Maya made it all interesting for me. The up and coming Selbak highly succeeded in the scenes on the basketball court. She's a filmmaker to watch for.
If you watch this movie with an open mind, you'll accept the limitations of low-budget movies without star actors and you will see beyond that -- the talent of a good director.
Gabbeh (1996)
Gabbeh - a real gem from Iran
The most enchanting movie I have seen in a long time. Visually stunning and breathtaking, like a trip to a museum that is rich with colorful paintings. Many beautifully chanted songs and little dialog. The best Iranian movie I have seen. And on an international level, it's the most artistic, yet not boring. The story comes out in colors, songs, and little dialog (suitable for those who don't like reading sub-titles).
This movie marries a fiction story with a documentary about a tribe and their tradition to make Gabbeh, a hand-woven carpet. The screenplay is very original and unusual -- in a good way. It definitely does not follow the clear-cut Hollywood recipe. This might confuse some viewers but this movie would be seen as a gem by other viewers who enjoy creativity.