Mohsen Makhmalbaf: The Poetic Trilogy: Gabbeh (1996), Sokout / The Silence (1998), The Gardener (2012) 2 x Blu-Ray Arrow Academy, download for free

Sep23

Mohsen Makhmalbaf: The Poetic Trilogy: Gabbeh (1996), Sokout / The Silence (1998), The Gardener (2012) 2 x Blu-Ray Arrow Academy

by movieworld on September 23rd, 2021 at 14:21

Posted In: .Other movies, Documentary, Drama, Mystery, Romance

Mohsen Makhmalbaf is a revolutionary filmmaker in every sense. Iranian by birth but, becoming a persona non grata in his homeland, he made more than 30 films in 11 different countries, and is now recognised as Iran’s most important filmmaker. Except in Iran, where all his work is now banned, and it’s forbidden to mention his name or even refer to his work in the media.

The pain that lingers beneath the surface of Mohsen Makhmalbaf’s “Poetic Trilogy” emanates from a careful melding of the cinematic image and the sociopolitical realities of daily life in Iran. These films often convey a political perspective without dipping into explicit rhetoric that indicates them as speaking to, or about, a current state of affairs in Iran.

Nor does the “poetic” mean precisely the same thing in each film. The striking colors and compositions of Gabbeh stand in stark contrast to the low-grade digital images of 2012’s The Gardener, which explores religious devotion through the framework of a DIY, reflexive documentary. And 1998’s The Silence finds its own poetry in music and sound.

Gabbeh
The characters of a colorful Persian carpet come alive in Makhmalbaf’s tribute to the art and beauty of Iranian gabbeh (carpet) weaving. Originally conceived as a documentary on the nomads who wove their own lives into their works, the film expanded into a fictionalized love story poised between fantasy, folklore, and reality, beginning as a young woman steps out of an elderly couple’s gabbeh with a tale of love and passion to share. Set among the clear streams and picturesque forests of the region, the magical Gabbeh serves as a hymn to an entire culture and its crafts and traditions.

The Silence
Tajikistan provides the setting of Makhmalbaf’s lyrical fable about a young blind boy and the acute sense of hearing that both connects him to – and liberates him from – the realities around him. Poised as if floating slightly above the earthbound individuals alongside him, the ethereal Korshid seeks attunement to everyday harmonies, though the discords of unemployment, poverty, and fanaticism remain omnipresent. “I am moving away from a political cinema towards a more poetic cinema,” Makhmalbaf declared; Silence finds beauty not in words and discourse, but in sounds, colors, and movement.

The Gardener
Mohsen Makhmalbaf and his son, Maysam, travel to Israel to investigate the Baha’i faith, a world religion with around seven million followers which originated in Iran about 170 years ago. Youth from all over the world come to Haifa – the centre of this religion – to serve, and those who serve in the gardens that surround the holy places develop peace-loving attitudes through their interactions with nature. During their investigation, the father and son disagree on the role of religion in today’s world and eventually separate to pursuit their own research. This poetic documentary shows two different views on religion and two generations of Iranians.

2 x BD50 | 1080p AVC | 01:12:42, 01:16:06, 01:25:54 | 42.5 Gb + 42.2 Gb + 3% rec
Language: Persian
Subtitles: English
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Romance, Documentary

Extras:

Disc One (Gabbeh and The Silence)

Audio Commentary on Gabbeh by critic Godfrey Cheshire

Original Trailers
-- Gabbeh US Trailer (1080p; 1:19)
-- Gabbeh French Trailer (1080p; 1:17)
-- The Silence French Trailer (1080p; 1:02)

Stills Gallery
-- Gabbeh (1080p; 2:40)
-- The Silence (1080p; 2:50)

Disc Two (The Gardener)

Poetry in Motion: An Interview with Mohsen Makhmalbaf (1080p; 1:00:36) is a well done interview conducted by Jonathan Romney covering Makhmalbaf's career in general while also touching on these films.

Mohsen with Closed Eyes (1080i; 16:34) is listed as "an imaginatively filmed archival interview with Makhmalbaf on The Silence", but while the content is definitely interesting, the "imaginatively filmed" part boils down to Makhmalbaf speaking with his eyes closed.

Original Trailer (1080p; 4:21)

Still Gallery (1080p; 3:50)