More accolades for Iranian filmmaker
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Iraninan filmmaker Samira Makhmalbaf `s "Five in the Afternoon" won the Golden Peacock at IFFI. It has also won the Jury Prize at Cannes this year. She talks to GOWRI RAMNARAYAN about her career and her father's influence on her work.
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Samira Makhmalbaf. — Pic. by S. Arneja
"WHO IS that attractive girl? An actress?'' a lingerer in the foyer wonders aloud, her eye on a bright woman in black, head under scarf, talking animatedly to an escort. Why, it is Samira Makhmalbaf, an elusive guest at the International Film Festival of India. Her Asian Competition entry at IFFI ("Five in the Afternoon", Iran, 2003) has won the Jury Prize at Cannes this year.
Samira did not stay in India to introduce her film at the screening, nor to receive the Golden Peacock at IFFI 2003 (Oct 9-19, New Delhi). However, in a touching gesture, she donated the prize money to Indian NGOs working for human rights, especially for women and children.
Accolades are not new to Samira, who, at age 18, made an impact with her first feature, "The Apple" (1998). In the following year, she became the youngest director to win the Jury Prize at Cannes with "The Blackboard" (2000).
Early international recognition has given her poise and confidence. But she retains the unaffected courtesy of an ancient Asian culture. This is reflected in the respect, affection and pride with which she refers to her father, eminent filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf, her teacher and role model. Hadn't her love for filmmaking been sparked in childhood, when she watched him at work, travelling with him to shooting locations?
When Samira decided to quit school and study film making, the father (who had no faith in the existing curriculum), set up his own institution, the Makhmalbaf Film House, a school which grew into a production company.
He devised an exacting, exhilarating syllabus. Besides production, editing, sound mix, cinematography, screenplay writing and acting, the eight students (daughters Samira, Hana, wife Marzieh among them) had to study painting, poetry, Iranian local music, foreign languages, cooking and computer science. Cycling and swimming were mandatory — Makhmalbaf believed in developing stamina. They assisted the teacher in his film making besides making their own.
As assistant to Samira in her first two films, and maker of "The Day I Became a Woman", Marzieh described Makhmalbaf as a mentor, who never interferes. Samira once impishly declared that her father taught her so well that she could now teach him if ever he forgot something. "Five in the Afternoon" proves that her confidence is well founded.
Excerpts from a freewheeling chat on the Siri Fort lawn, New Delhi:
You were the youngest filmmaker to compete in Cannes, and the youngest member on their jury panel. How was it like to be on the `other side'?
Criticism doesn't come easily to me. Besides, any jury's choice expresses only a certain point of view. It is not the final judgment. Another jury in its place may have chosen a different film. Being a jury member was a chance to learn about other people's perspectives. Also, because I am a woman, or let us say because I am young, I thought I would represent young people on the panel.
Iranian auteurs like Abbas Kiarostami, Mohsen Makhmalbaf and Majid Majidi evolved a new, subtle cinema of protest and poetry. But aren't the younger filmmakers mostly imitating the masters? Do they experiment?
Better than cloning Hollywood! Imitation of good cinema may eventually lead to good cinema. You don't need to jump up and down and call it experiment. You can be quiet, simple, look steadily, and thereby experience something new. Going to movies is not like shopping for new, trendy things. If you go deep into a movie you might find something you didn't notice at first. (Smiles) Some people imitate anyway, they watch movies to make movies. They copy movies, not reality. Techniques mostly. Stay superficial. I am not saying we should make realistic movies. But we must see, hear, taste and touch things around us. First hand.
Aren't things better for women in Iran now? How does this get reflected in cinema?
With Mr. Khatami as our President we thought women were going to have democratic rights and freedom. But we are not experiencing it all that much. A woman cannot be President in Afghanistan or Iran. Some problems are not due to the political or legal systems, but because of the limitations inherent in the culture. Politics we can somehow set right. It is easier to change governments and laws than the minds of people. That worries me.
A film like "Women's Prison" by Manijeh Hekmat, an expose of the appalling conditions in Iranian gaols could not have been made 10 years ago. Or your "Five in the Afternoon" about a young girl dreaming of becoming the President of Afghanistan.
Yes. So many of my father's movies were banned.
You talk so much about your father, how do you shake off his influence to find yourself?
I am happy to be influenced by my father. I hope I am like him. Even if he were not a filmmaker, he would have been what he is — a great human being. I may have learnt from him how to be a good student of cinema, but I'm not sure if I have learnt to be as good a human being as he is. He is not only my father, but my friend, teacher, we work together... different kinds of relationships. But I am a woman, I belong to another generation. We have differences of opinion. If I really believe that what I'm doing is right, then I'll do it, even against his views. My father will also expect me to stand by my own point of view. After all, it is my film.
You share your father's fascination for Afghanistan. His "Khandahar", made much before 9/11 proved almost prophetic.
I was eight when my father made "The Cyclist" about an Afghan refugee. Through "Khandahar" he tried to alert everyone about the desperate situation in Afghanistan. I love Afghanistan, its innocence, beauty. So much pain in one part of the world. I feel close to the Afghan people, we have the same language and culture. I can go to Kabul, speak Farsi and they'll understand me. We see Afghan refugees everywhere in Iran. I feel I have to do something for them, they don't have anyone to be their representative.
Your father wrote the story and screenplay for "Five in the Afternoon". How did you make it your own in the filming?
Not by sitting and imagining but by going to Afghanistan and seeing the real people and situation today. There is no script so to speak, but a story line. The choice of character and the actor made it different. For example if I choose you as a character in my story it will be different from what it would be if I chose that woman standing over there.
You began to make films in your teens. Was it difficult to get the actors and unit to follow your directions?
It was one of the hardest things to do! They were all older, more experienced. Moreover I was breaking cliches — not easy at all. But now they know me, see me as a director, not a green girl.
Iran and India have so many links in history, art, culture, even cuisine. Hindi speakers can almost follow Farsi dialogue — nauker, zindagi, fikr, khuda, musafir, nadaani, bechari...
(Gleeful) Really? I didn't know this!
Talking about another kind of language, your score for "Five in the Afternoon" has Indian classical and film music. Your father made dramatic use of dhrupad and suprabhatam in "Khandahar". So when are you making a film in India?
I don't know if I'd do a film here but I love India. I would like to come again and again to learn more. I like everything here, the colours and sounds... the red dot on your forehead. Doesn't it mean happiness and good luck? Oh, it has a spiritual significance too? Does it focus the powers of concentration? A protection against evil forces? How wonderful! (Dreamily) I love your temples, seeing people worship the different Gods in every corner with so much devotion.
What are the challenges you have faced at work?
I don't know about challenges, I'd say the hardest thing I learnt, and am constantly learning, is that I should not be judgmental. For example, if I put all the blame on the Taliban I would not learn enough about Afghanistan. If you don't judge, you will find more layers of reality.
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