Synopsis
After twelve years of imprisonment by their own parents, two sisters are finally released by social workers to face the outside world for the first time.
The Apple
1998 ‘سیب’ Directed by Samira Makhmalbaf
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Alternative Titles
Sib, La Pomme
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Not long ago, I read this interview, which basically spells out the ideas in The Apple directly from the young director's mouth. It's a great interview, but having read it, it would be redundant of me to speak directly of the themes of the movie. In it, Makhmalbaf specifically cites the story of Adam and Eve as a direct parallel to her work here, however, and that stood out--I think also to the interviewer--in that she seems to directly call Satan's role in that story good.
I must admit, I have never given too much thought to the story of Adam and Eve. Had I been taught the story in my adult life, I can't say that I would not…
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I enjoyed this non professional acting movie. I was even early on questioning if this was a documentary. I really like how this movie creates sympathy and anger at the same time with all the people in authority with a few laughs now and again. I particularly got a chuckle with the two girls running around the town (Somewhat reminiscent of "Zazie dan la metro" actually but not as wacky) in these over sized shoes unable to be fully aware of this outside world. Sad but balanced with charm that addresses a lot of issues of women's rights to education in the Iranian culture add to that that the director/writer Samira Makhmalbaf was 18 when this came out just shows how impressive she is right out of the gate. With this and having seen "Blackboards" makes me upset that she hasn't really done anymore films since 2008
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Two daughters have been locked up by their parents for 12 years and social workers arrive to investigate the situation.
This is based on a true story and features the real people who actually lived it. It's an impressive directorial debut by Samira Makhmalbaf, I can't believe she was 18 years old when she made it.
Although it is frustating, bittersweet, sad and confusing to watch, I can't help to think everyone should see it. If you liked Mustang(2015) and The Virgin Suicides(1999) don't miss this film experiment.
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This was kind of hard to watch, it really touched me.
To me, ignorance is one of the worst's evils of life, it's sad and tough to see.
What conforts me is that that the world still have people caring for each other and taking care of each other =). -
No one plays with reality and fiction quite like the greatest masters of Iranian new wave. The film's strong sense of longing for freedom (and beauty) seems to be partly legacy from Samira's father Mohsen who also edited and scripted the film but ultimately it's simply humanist longing (girls' wanderings after interesting objects reminds me of little blind boy's wanderings after the most beautiful music in Mohsen Makhmalbaf's The Silence released on the same year). We witness moments of regret and injustice but also beauty and wonder. Mirrors show the truth but also only half of it, apples are tempting and full of life, new games are weird, people are curious... The film isn't only "compensation" or "therapy" for the family caught in the actual incident, it goes beyond that. It's full of sense of compassion and solidarity even in the middle of unfair events. Jean Renoir would have loved this film.
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These girls were robbed 12 years of their childhood, and all it takes is one glimpse at an average day outside to prove it.
Okay, so two things I learned while watching this: first, the social worker in this is GOATED and does the whole “traps to teach ya a lesson” shtick way more efficiently than Jigsaw ever could. Second, I ought to become more productive in my life after having my ego absolutely deflated from finding out that a 17-year old directed this. I’m really out of the loop these days. Fuck it, we all are.
Verdict: B+
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Incredibly disturbing and exploitative. Whole family needs psychiatric help and/or education and they get a camera pointed at them.
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''A girl is like a flower, if the sun shines on her,
she will fade. A man's gaze is like the sun and a girl is like a flower.''18 year old filmmaker Samira Makhmalbaf said of Massoumeh and Zahra Naderi, who were the focus of her debut film The Apple: ''We shot this in 11 days, and during this 11 days, they changed more than during those 11 years, just because of having contact with us.''(the film crew), and it's easy to see the evidence of this blossoming throughout a film in which all the real people involved in this remarkable true story are cast to replay both real and fictional events to tell the story of two semi-retarded…
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Berken's May 30 Days, 30 Countries Challenge Film nº 15 - Iran
Sib is a dramatized documentary about two girls who were locked up since birth and are "rescued" by the social services after a complaint filed by their neighbours.
With the principal characters played by themselves and some actual real footage, this film feels very real. The girls, the parents even the neighbours feel very alive.
The innocence of the girls making friends and wandering about for the first time really lights the mood for an actually very dramatic story about a really poor family, struck by misfortune and religion fundamentalism, with almost no education.
What's more interesting about this film is the showing of a story without judging anyone. The girls were locked up by their parents but specially the father is never shown like a real villain.
Sib is a really wonderful movie really worth watching.
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52 Films Directed By Women 4: In 52 Days!
40/52
A heartbreaking film that's really tough for me to write about, although I will say that I honestly had no idea that Samira Makhmalbaf was 17 when she made this. Just completely amazing that a work of this maturity and vision could have come from someone so young. Quite remarkable.
I really loved the moments of humour that emerge here, they're so natural and say so much about the charming mischievousness and toughness of kids. Even after all those years in captivity, within minutes they're starting to find their voices and a whole new personality is emerging. The bit with the ice creams was absolutely delightful.
What…
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## BINGU - Category Eleven: Iranian Cinema ##
It's hard talking about this movie because it's a documentary, kind of. The core premise of the film is that there's two girls, Massoumeh and Zahra, who have been locked inside their house for eleven years since their birth by their father, Ghorban, and follows a day in their life after being set free from their home and the reaction of the father to the way the media is portraying his family's case. The film is based on a true story. How did filmmaker Samira Makhmalbaf choose to approach this topic? Well, by filming the real Massoumeh and Zahra, as well as their father as the public is reacting to the case.…
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There's something about the sound of this film, the simplicity of almost everyone's words and actions, repetitive, like the banging of spoons, that achieves a musical and rhythmic quality. I like films that have that element to them, that are a bit hypnotizing in the way they sound.
Maybe the best film directed by an 18 year old (although she had her dad's help), but more metaphorical than aesthetically inventive. Rides the line between exposing the fictive elements of documentary, the documentary realities of narrative, and straight up exploitation pretty hard.
Getting harder to write reviews of everything. Not sure how Sally does it.