The Apple
Shown: 20 March 2000
Iran 1998 (subtitles)
Directed by Samira Makhmalbaf
Leading players - The Naderi family as themselves
Synopsis
Set in a poverty-stricken quarter of Tehran, The Apple is based on real events, rather than actors. The story is of twin sisters, 11 year old Zahra and Massourich, who have been kept as prisoners since birth. Their old, uneducated father locks them up because he believes his girls are like flowers - once exposed to sunlight they will wilt.A touching account, often comic, its charm is offset by an unsentimental portrait of life, while the mysterious chanting on the soundtrack creates a subtle, uncertain atmosphere. The image of a hand, from one of the twins, watering a sickly plant, encapsulates their misfortunes, which slowly but surely works towards a devastating finality.
This film is multi-faceted with some interesting effects. The blind wife stumbles out into the streets and grasps the same apple, so entering into another developing scenario. The 17 year old director Samira was taught by her father, Mohsen Makhmabaf, a celebrated Iranian film maker. Shot in Iran, within days of this fine story coming to light, her film is a remarkable achievement.
