Influential Iranian director Mohsen Makhmalbaf's daughter Samira Makhmalbaf follows her father at the age of eighteen, the outstanding quality of 'The Apple', her debut docudrama is its power to protect its characters went down a rabbit hole. A Muslim family in Iran-an aged father, his blind wife, and their two adolescent daughters - Zahra Naderi, and Masume Naderi make the plot. In a rarely amused moment in the film, one small girl asks the social worker- Is it her father or grandfather- a metaphor? It all begins with their neighbours informing the social welfare department about the plight of these girls imprisoned by their parents for long years. They hadn't stepped out or taken a bath in years. What we see is a total family, except the father locking themselves in their house in an alley as they believe girls are not safe or meant to be outside. Father teaches them chores that fit them for marriage. The blind mother never shows her face and It's unbearable to watch her as we feel words come out of a walking piece of cloth.
The only little world Zahra and Masume own is the voices from nature and the opposite house. They limb and mumble small words behind bars. When the social worker meets the family, the disorders of these socially withdrawn girls move us. At the welfare center, they looked clean and comfortable but the only thing bothered their visiting mother was the missing scarves on their heads. Immediately, Zahra and Masume were taken home.
The Apple's static shots in dull hues efficiently capture the dead lives of its caged protagonists. Samira's brilliance lies in showing the father sowing the locked bars out of a do-or-die situation. He now prefers freedom and honour against his wife's wishes. In a parallel shot, a boy playing with an apple tempts the girls outside. For the first time, they walk on the street and befriend other girls and relish freedom under the sky.
The Apple is based on a true story of liberation from the chains of ignorance. Masking its controversial background, the film's facade invites a thought-provoking change.
Read my reviews on Pixstory.
The only little world Zahra and Masume own is the voices from nature and the opposite house. They limb and mumble small words behind bars. When the social worker meets the family, the disorders of these socially withdrawn girls move us. At the welfare center, they looked clean and comfortable but the only thing bothered their visiting mother was the missing scarves on their heads. Immediately, Zahra and Masume were taken home.
The Apple's static shots in dull hues efficiently capture the dead lives of its caged protagonists. Samira's brilliance lies in showing the father sowing the locked bars out of a do-or-die situation. He now prefers freedom and honour against his wife's wishes. In a parallel shot, a boy playing with an apple tempts the girls outside. For the first time, they walk on the street and befriend other girls and relish freedom under the sky.
The Apple is based on a true story of liberation from the chains of ignorance. Masking its controversial background, the film's facade invites a thought-provoking change.
Read my reviews on Pixstory.