Samira Makhmalbaf daughter of Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf has proven her direction skills in BLACKBOARD. The movie is about Kurd refugee teachers who are seeking students around the border to educate them and can feed themselves in return. One of the teachers met a teenager group of smugglers who smuggles goods from Iraq to Iran. The other teacher met a group of old men who wants to get back to their land to be buried in the mud of their homeland.
"Blackboards" shows a reality that everyone is powerless to change. Even these teachers can't make a dent. This is not a movie for just everyone. You must be able to handle the slow and different way of storytelling to appreciate this movie fully.
The opening scene of the film shows ten new teachers setting out to catch students. Wooden blackboards strapped to their backs, they climb among the mountains, dodging bullets themselves. The movie depicts that the hunger and the insecurity of the people had left no room for education.
The movie is good looking, with its never-ending, landscapes and good camera positions to tell the story with. Its filmed with handhold camera, with lots of long sequences It works good for a realism. The dialogue is realistic, though not always interesting. I mean they basically say the same things five times in a row in this movie, which perhaps is a bit irritating. This is also due to the non-professional actors that play in this movie
But on the other hand it's the story that still makes this a pleasant movie to watch. The subject is a bit heavy and serious. Still the end result is a good and not heavy to watch movie that is absolutely worth seeing but lacking in real emotions or depth to make a true lasting impression.
MCT:March 31, 2008
MCT:September 6, 2007
MCT:June 6, 2007
