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Festival of Iranian cinema in Abu Dhabi

ABU DHABI — Mohsen Makhmalbaf has done for the Iranian cinema what Tarkowsky has done for Russian films — not only has he given it an identity but also elevated it to an art form, bordering the beauty of watercolours and the sensitivity of poetry.

Along with some other remarkable Iranian directors, Makhmalbaf has transformed Iranian cinema into one of the world's best, which is winning medals, awards and critical praise all over Europe and Asia. Two of Mohsen's 18 films will be screened at the Cultural Foundation in Abu Dhabi, in a festival of Iranian cinema.

The first to be screened is The Actor (1993) on June 14. The film is about an actor named Akbar, who is trying to evolve to become a serious actor rather than the 'clown' everyone considers him to be. However, financial and family problems, especially his wife's inability to bear a child force him to abandon his artistic dream.

'Gabbeh', Mohsen's surrealist poem in cinematic form (1995), will be shown on June 21. The film opens with an elderly couple carrying their gabbeh, a type of Persian carpet, walking towards the river, hoping to wash their rug. When the beautiful, colourful carpet is spread out on the ground, a girl, referred to as Gabbeh, magically comes out of it.

The film follows the nomadic Ghashghai people, whose bright, bold carpets tell stories. At the same time, it follows Gabbeh, who loves a mysterious stranger, but is forbidden to marry him.

Mohsen's film, helplessly romantic and completely non-realistic, with scenes moving around in time and space much like a dream, has nothing to do with traditional cinema, or even story-telling. It's simply a beautiful visual description of a fantasy.

Among the other films to be screened at the festival is 'Leila' (2000) by Dariuosh Mehrjuee. It'll be shown on June 12. Set in today's Teheran, the film tells the unhappy story of a happily married couple under pressure from family and tradition.

'The Color of God' (2000) by Majid Majidi, to be screened on June 13, is about a poor peasant who tries to remarry, but is fearful that his future wife might reject him if she finds out about his 10-year-old blind son.

'Blackboard' (1999), by Samira Makhmalbaf, the daughter of Mohsen Makhmalbaf, who is co-writer of the film's script, will be screened on June 19. Set in the post-Taleban Afghanistan, the film follows a group of Kurdish refugees after the chemical bombing of Halabja during the Iran-Iraq War. Blackboard received six international awards, including the Jury Prize, Official Competition section of Cannes Film Festival 2000, France and Federico Fellini Honor, Unesco, Paris, 2000.

'The Pear Tree' (1998) by Dariuosh Mehrjuee, to be shown on June 20, is another deeply touching, symbolic analogy. Mahmud, a middle-aged poet and writer, travels to his birthplace in the Bagh Damavand to write a book. The pear tree in the garden reminds Mahmud of his childhood, while the odd and nagging gardener keeps reminding Mahmud of the bitter fact that all trees in the garden have borne fruit, except this pear tree.