The president and his family run their country with an iron fist, enjoying a luxurious lifestyle while their subjects live in misery. The president tells the story of a dictator who comes face to face with the people he previously subjugated. Irans mohsen makhmalbaf underlines a bloody dictatorship. Iranian directorinexile mohsen makhmalbaf has the president screening in the gala presentation section of this years biff, while hassan solhjous documentary daddys school, about him and. Sometimes, great films go unnoticed and unsung in a movie festival. Huang jianxin, mohsen makhmalbaf, ho yim, tsai mingliang, 2015. The beginning of mohsen makhmalbafs the president teases that kind of mockery, opening with the title ruler showing his young grandson the extreme power he wields over his nation. The president is a modern fable about power, reconciliation, and the hope for breaking a neverending circle of violence, exploring the possibility of stopping violence after a revolution in search of freedom and democracy. At the tuesday press conference for the biff gala presentation the president, iranian director mohsen makhmalbaf explained how he first conceived the idea for a film about a.
He tried to attack a policeman in order to steal his gun, rob a bank, and blow up the pahlavi regime. Although iranian filmmaker mohsen makhmalbaf says the president was inspired by the turbulent events of the arab spring, theres also a timeless quality to this absorbing and powerful fable that. Want to watch the president on your tv or mobile device at home. The president is a striking movie and a bold and challenging change of directorial pace from mohsen makhmalbaf. No one better personifies iranian cinema today than mohsen makhmalbaf, a filmmaker whose life and career have been shapedindeed definedby the 1979 islamic revolution and the complex forces surrounding it. The man who came with the snow mohsen makhmalbaf, marzieh makhmalbaf, 2009. The president 2014 stream and watch online moviefone. This weeks new york opening of mohsen makhmalbafs the president corinth films premieres one of best iranian movies yet seen. Mohsen makhmalbaf filmography filmography moviefone. One of the most popular and influential iranian filmmakers of his era, mohsen makhmalbaf was born in teheran on may 29, 1957.
Vividly and at times almost pitilessly, his films mirror iranian culture in the years leading up to the revolution and following it. Watch the president 2014, mohsen makhmalbaf online. Mohsen makhmalbaf is the official spokesman for mir hossein mousavi outside iran. It is widely believed that the movie is based on makhmalbafs own experiences.
First of all the contents were proliferated with the georgian culture and gave views of the countryside and the people of all ages. Mohsen makhmalbaf creates a spare and deeply affecting portrait of human despair, exploitation, and resilience in the cyclist 1987. The president, a sweeping tale inspired by the arab spring. To be sure, makhmalbafs life has not been ordinary. Mohsen makhmalbaf biography, movie highlights and photos. T his weeks new york opening of mohsen makhmalbaf s the president corinth films premieres one of best iranian movies yet seen. This film was one of two that opened the 2014 venice film festival. Samira makhmalbaf is considered to be one of the most influential directors as part of the iranian new wave. The president by mohsen makhmalbaf trailer youtube.
Misha gorniashvili, dachi orvelashvili, guja burduli, ia sukhitashvili, zura begalishvili. Mohsen makhmalbafs a moment of innocence an analysis. A dictator and his grandson, on the run during a political revolution, hide incognito among the citizenry in this film from mohsen makhmalbaf. I saw the movie, by irans mohsen makhmalbaf, at cannes 2001, where it was admired but seemed to have slim chances of a north american release. Wasnt expecting the full tilt kiarostami schtick, i guess makhmalbaf really was bummed about missing out directing closeup. Mohsen makhmalbaf is an iranian film director, writer, film editor, and producer.
Its story of a despot mikheil gomiashvili caught in the midst of a revolution, who escapes his countrys futuristically designed capital city to traverse. Mohsen makhmalbaf talks the president features screen. Mohsen makhmalbaf is known as one of the most influential filmmakers and founders of the new wave of iranian cinema in the world today. Upcoming, new, and past mohsen makhmalbaf movies, tv shows, tv movies, appearances, specials, and more plus, a biography, news, awards, and nominations. With mikheil gomiashvili, dachi orvelashvili, ia sukhitashvili, guja burduli. For how can one be satisfied with a story called the silence about a blind boy who is an instrument tuner, whose guiding compass in this world, and possibly the next, is his ear. Upgrade to a letterboxd pro account to add your favorite services to this listincluding any service and country pair listed on justwatchand to enable oneclick filtering by all your favorites powered by justwatch.
Director mohsen makhmalbaf is at his finest and weaves a story of regret over the abuse of power in masterful yet subtle strokes. Yes, mohsens film tells a story, and that story is the mastic that holds the film together. The president mohsen makhmalbaf offers a didactic morality tale about a fallen autocrat and his innocent grandson fleeing murderous revolutionaries bent on vengeance. Mohsen makhmalbaf celebrity profile check out the latest mohsen makhmalbaf photo gallery, biography, pics, pictures, interviews, news, forums and blogs at rotten tomatoes. Thus the makhmalbaf film house was formed, with mohsens wife, marziyeh meshkini, and young daughters samira and hana as its first auteurs in the making. Maysam makhmalbaf mohsen makhmalbaf ririva eona mabi paula.
Many of his films like salam cinema, a moment of innocence, gabbeh, kandahar and the president have been widely well received across the globe and have brought him over 50 international awards from the prestigious. The president and his family rule their land with an iron fist, enjoying lives of luxury and leisure at the expense of their populations misery. The president 2014 imdbmohsen makhmalbaf, the president 2014 7. As the president, his new satire about a toppled dictator living in disguise. Makhmalbafs films have been widely presented in international film festivals in the past ten years. The president had its world premier at venice film festival in 2014, opening the festival together with birdman. Hunting down a streaming service to buy, rent, download, or watch the mohsen makhmalbafdirected movie via subscription can be a. A brutal dictator comes face to face with the injustices committed by his regime when his country is taken over by revolutionists. In the late 1990s, at the height of his international popularity for films like a moment of innocence and gabbeh, the iranian director mohsen makhmalbaf announced that he would cut back on creating films, and instead help create filmmakers. T he pain that lingers beneath the surface of mohsen makhmalbafs poetic trilogy emanates from a careful melding of the cinematic image and the sociopolitical realities of daily life in iran. During 2007 he was the president of asian film academy. The president tells the story of a dictator who comes face. The multiawardwinning director, belongs to the new wave movement of iranian cinema.
Twice the president is forced to beg for money, first from a poor barber, then a prostitute he once knew. Iranian writerdirector mohsen makhmalbaf plays with these issues extensively in his highly praised a moment of innocence nun va goldoon, meaning bread and the flower vase, 1996, which concerns a real event from makhmalbafs own life 1. Even something like the particular shade of sky blue that recurs in womens clothing and textiles throughout 1996s gabbeh takes on greater significance if one knows that women at the time. Mohsen makhmalbafs a moment of innocence an analysis irans pioneering filmmaker mohsen makhmalbaf, at the age of 17, was an islamic militant. The recent venice international film festival was no exception. The visual language reminded me of tatis playtime in how it constantly distends its mise en scene for a. In mohsen makhmalbafs political drama the president, the brutal dictator of an unnamed country the movie was shot mainly in the republic of georgia is deposed in a popular rebellion and goes on.
As a workingclass teen, he became involved with a militant terrorist group battling against the shahs regime, and at the age of 17, he was sentenced to. Kandahar follows that journey in a way that sheds an unforgiving light on the last days of the taliban. Intense, unique, allegorical, and the actors are outstanding. Mikheil gomiashvili and dachi orvelashvili in the president 2014 mikheil. T his weeks new york opening of mohsen makhmalbafs the president corinth films premieres one of best iranian movies yet seen. Veteran iranian director mohsen makhmalbaf takes such a situation as the premise for his 2014 feature the president, which displays his filmmaking skills in abundance but lacks the kind of cultural and political specificity that would assure its resonance. She is the daughter of mohsen makhmalbaf, the film director and writer. This dvd movie was produced in countries of georgia and germany. The president directed by acclaimed international filmmaker mohsen makhmalbaf tells a timeless story of a dictator forced to come face to face with the countless people brutalized by his regime after his government is overthrown. The iranian director mohsen makhmalbaf a moment of innocence, kandahar is not known for his kineticism, but the president which he has suggested is his comment on the arab spring has surprising urgency and sweep. If i ever return to power, ill pay you a thousandfold, he pleads.