Fresh
When I first saw Blackboards three years ago I was surprised as well as puzzled that in some ways it reminded me of John Ford's 1950 western Wagon Master.
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
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Blackboards
Overview
Itinerant Kurdish teachers, carrying blackboards on their backs, look for students in the hills and villages of Iran, near the Iraqi border during the Iran-Iraq war. Said falls in with a group of old men looking for their bombed-out village; he offers to guide them, and takes as his wife Halaleh, the clan's lone woman, a widow with a young son. Reeboir attaches himself to a dozen pre-teen boys weighed down by contraband they carry across the border; they're mules, always on the move. Said and Reeboir try to teach as their potential students keep walking. Danger is close; armed soldiers patrol the skies, the roads, and the border. Is there a role for a teacher? Is there hope?
Director and cast
- Samira Makhmalbaf Director
- Said Mohamadi as Said
- Behnaz Jafari as Halaleh
- Bahman Ghobadi as Reeboir
- Mohamad Karim Rahmati as Father
- Rafat Moradi as Ribwar
- Mayas Rostami as Young boy storyteller
- Saman Akbari as Group leader
- Ahmad Bahrami as Marriage registrar
- Karim Moradi as Old man
- Hassan Mohamadi Cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
74%
Tomatometer
Rotten
Reeboir varies between a sweet smile and an angry bark, while Said attempts to wear down possible pupils through repetition. It has no affect on the Kurds, but it wore me down.
Erik Lundegaard, Seattle Times
Fresh
A heartening tale of small victories and enduring hope.
Carla Meyer, San Francisco Chronicle
Fresh
There's no denying the strength of these simple images, and the bleak message of learning to sort out your real priorities in times of strife.
Peter Howell, Toronto Star
Rotten
A selection of scenes in search of a movie.
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail
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