The House Is Black
| The House Is Black (Khaneh siah ast) | |
|---|---|
 The House is Black (خانه سیاه است) | |
| Directed by | Forough Farrokhzad |
| Written by | Forough Farrokhzad |
Release dates |
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Running time | 22 minutes |
| Language | Persian |
The House Is Black (Persian: خانه سیاه است, Kẖạneh sy̰ạh ạst) is an acclaimed Iranian documentary short film directed by Forough Farrokhzad.
The film is a look at life and suffering in a leper colony and focuses on the human condition and the beauty of creation.[1] It is spliced with Farrokhzad's narration of quotes from the Old Testament, the Koran and her own poetry. The film was based on the Behkadeh Raji colony. It was the only film she directed before her death in 1967. During shooting, she became attached to a child of two lepers, whom she later adopted.
Although the film attracted little attention outside Iran when released, it has since been recognised as a landmark in Iranian film. Reviewer Eric Henderson described the film as "[o]ne of the prototypal essay films, The House is Black paved the way for the Iranian New Wave."[2]
References
- ↑ Sun, February 13, 2005; by Doug Cummings http://filmjourney.weblogger.com/2005/02/13
- ↑ 2005; by Eric Henderson, http://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/dvd_review.asp?ID=570
Notes
- Hamid Dabashi, Masters & Masterpieces of Iranian Cinema, 451 p. (Mage Publishers, Washington, DC, 2007); Chapter II, pp. 39–70: Forough Farrokhzad; The House is Black. ISBN 0-934211-85-X