Many years ago I saw the "Taste Of Cherry", "Circle", "Children Of Paradise", and I don't understand how that amount of magic is coming out of one and the same country. I still have not cracked the code. There is something truly unique about Iranian filmmakers, which puts to shame all the big budget blockbusters, and even some more humble attempts at independent or art cinema of late. Perhaps Iran is France of east. What I liked about French Nouvelle Vague, I am starting to like about Kiarostami and his less well known colleagues.
Even before seeing this film I knew that it was, in a way, an experiment. Kiarostami wanted to make a film with minimal budget. Say, a few thousand dollars. And he did it, with result which puts to shame other similar attempts.
In "Ten" there is a car, driven by a woman in Iran, her child, her estranged husband, some other women, and that is about it. We barely even get to see the city. One also has to take into account the local rules and culture as well, which is less visible character in the film.
Think it is impossible to make a film out of those elements, with only two dash mounted miniDV cameras? Think again, because Kiarostami did it, and he did it with gusto and talent that left me speechless.
I will admit that the film is quite local in its focus, but also global in its theme. The local aspect left me wondering what the woman's job was, as she seems to be taking other women in her car all the time... until I learned that first of all, women do need all the help they can get in Iran (duhh...), and also that it is illegal (correct me if I am wrong) to drive a car alone in some parts of Iran or Tehran. It almost seemed to me that she was a taxi driver, but she is not. However, even with that little misconception on my part, I did not loose any of the joy of watching this deceptively simple treasure.
The best things in life seem to come from the places we would never expect.
If you are a lover of good cinema, than by all means, watch this film. If you have dreams of making your own films, perhaps you should buy this one and study it over and over again.
Even before seeing this film I knew that it was, in a way, an experiment. Kiarostami wanted to make a film with minimal budget. Say, a few thousand dollars. And he did it, with result which puts to shame other similar attempts.
In "Ten" there is a car, driven by a woman in Iran, her child, her estranged husband, some other women, and that is about it. We barely even get to see the city. One also has to take into account the local rules and culture as well, which is less visible character in the film.
Think it is impossible to make a film out of those elements, with only two dash mounted miniDV cameras? Think again, because Kiarostami did it, and he did it with gusto and talent that left me speechless.
I will admit that the film is quite local in its focus, but also global in its theme. The local aspect left me wondering what the woman's job was, as she seems to be taking other women in her car all the time... until I learned that first of all, women do need all the help they can get in Iran (duhh...), and also that it is illegal (correct me if I am wrong) to drive a car alone in some parts of Iran or Tehran. It almost seemed to me that she was a taxi driver, but she is not. However, even with that little misconception on my part, I did not loose any of the joy of watching this deceptively simple treasure.
The best things in life seem to come from the places we would never expect.
If you are a lover of good cinema, than by all means, watch this film. If you have dreams of making your own films, perhaps you should buy this one and study it over and over again.