Based on a true story and starring the very same people involved in it, this movie (by first time director Samira Makhmalbaf) tells the story of Zahra and Massoumef, twelve year old twins living on a very humble neighborhood in Tehran. Virtually imprisoned in their own home by their impoverished, ignorant, fundamentalist father and blind mother, they were freed by Iran social services after neighbors complained that the children had not bathed and could not speak. Makhmalbaf shows the twins attempting to function beyond their parents' wall after the social workers have intervened. They lack social skills to the extent of being unaware that they have to pay for food. Made when she was just 17 years old (probably with some help from her father, the acclaimed Iranian director Mohsen Makhmalbaf) this film stands very well in the Iranian tradition of social realist, humanist cinema that came out beginning in the mid 1980s. It's so moving, it will be hard for you not to cry while watching it.
20 Reviews
A slice of contemporary Iranian life
Keltic-26 July 2000
_Sib_ offers a glimpse inside Iranian society that is rarely available to Western audiences. It looks and feels like a documentary, and apparently contains actual footage of the freeing of the twin girls who had been confined to the family home for their entire lives.
The blossoming of the two girls, which begins almost the moment that they are chased from the yard by a well-meaning but rather overbearing social worker, is a joy to behold. The scene in which the recently-freed twins steal ice creams from a young street vendor stands out as an example of the comedy that lightens a film that could, given a different treatment, have been relentlessly depressing. As the narrative develops, the father may be seen as a prisoner in his own right, trapped by his traditionalist religious beliefs, his fears for his daughters' safety and by the surprisingly domineering influence of his blind wife. Ultimately, _Sib_ shows that the forced release of the twins is also a release for their father, the nominal villain of the piece.
The blossoming of the two girls, which begins almost the moment that they are chased from the yard by a well-meaning but rather overbearing social worker, is a joy to behold. The scene in which the recently-freed twins steal ice creams from a young street vendor stands out as an example of the comedy that lightens a film that could, given a different treatment, have been relentlessly depressing. As the narrative develops, the father may be seen as a prisoner in his own right, trapped by his traditionalist religious beliefs, his fears for his daughters' safety and by the surprisingly domineering influence of his blind wife. Ultimately, _Sib_ shows that the forced release of the twins is also a release for their father, the nominal villain of the piece.
Disturbing, but amazing
Pro Jury11 September 2004
SIB recreates the true story of twin 12-year-old daughters whose poor elderly father and blind mother kept locked away inside their small house for their entire lives without any playmates or visitors. The girls are released to experience the sweet joys and harsh dangers of the outside world. The actual family members involved in the case play themselves in the movie. On many levels, the ending is as poetic as it is disturbing.
SIB is a 1998 movie made in Iran. Aida Mohammadkhani, the lead child actress from the great Iranian film BADKONAKE SEFID, has a cameo in SIB as a girl in the playground.
SIB is a 1998 movie made in Iran. Aida Mohammadkhani, the lead child actress from the great Iranian film BADKONAKE SEFID, has a cameo in SIB as a girl in the playground.
An impressive, engaging, interesting and, most importantly, balanced documentary/drama
bob the moo23 May 2005
After twelve years, the neighbours of the Naderi family in Tehran write to Social Services to raise awareness and seek help with the family. The family is made up of an old man, his blind wife and his twin daughters, who he keeps locked in the house and has done for the twelve years of their lives. The parents claim they were only protecting their children but the papers tell stories of children chained up and kept like animals. The film crew watch on as the parents and children come to terms with this new, enforced freedom.
Whenever director Samira Makhmalbaf heard about the story of the Naderi family she decided to make a film about it two or three days later this film began, using film stock left over from her father's most recent film. Several weeks later the film was complete and the final product is a startingly assured product that is engaging, impressive and very balanced. I'm not sure what specifically attracted Makhmalbaf to the story but she has managed to bring so much out of it that I imagine she saw a lot of themes worth exploring in the original article she read. The film follows the real people as they all try to come to terms with this new world the blind wife who fears for her girls; the father who is only following teaching on raising girl and wants to protect them; and of course the girls who quickly go from barely being able to communicate to running and playing outside. On this very human level it is a compelling film that mixes documentary and drama to good effect and you easily care for the people.
A scan of the plot may see your mind made up about the cruel Iranian father and the poor oppressed wife and girls, however to do this is a mistake because the film never does this, not once. The film looks at the people but it also looks at the view of society on women and the attitudes involved; it would be easy to just slate the religious, comparatively oppressive approach of such religious states but the film is too good for that. Instead it takes a balanced view that weighs up both views and doesn't judge anyone. By doing this the film is only stronger and more interesting because it comes over as a debate that engaged my brain in that aspect just as much as it engaged me with the people in the story.
The cast are almost all the real people "playing" their roles in front of the camera as they really happen; I'm sure some of it were staged reconstructions but mostly it convinces as the real deal happening as we watch. The father is compelling and the film's balance is evident in that it allows him to be confused and bewildered about the accusations against him. The wife is well presented as well confounding those who will have tuned in to see a cruel man oppressing the women in his life. The twin girls are easy to like and they are the human aspect of the story come (literally) to life their development is touching and engaging.
Overall this is an excellent mix of documentary and drama that works on many levels. It is a human story that is touching but also works on other levels, being a thoughtful and balanced look at Iranian society, the restraints on people and on women generally. Without judging, it builds an interesting debate that produces a strong film that is well worth seeking out.
Whenever director Samira Makhmalbaf heard about the story of the Naderi family she decided to make a film about it two or three days later this film began, using film stock left over from her father's most recent film. Several weeks later the film was complete and the final product is a startingly assured product that is engaging, impressive and very balanced. I'm not sure what specifically attracted Makhmalbaf to the story but she has managed to bring so much out of it that I imagine she saw a lot of themes worth exploring in the original article she read. The film follows the real people as they all try to come to terms with this new world the blind wife who fears for her girls; the father who is only following teaching on raising girl and wants to protect them; and of course the girls who quickly go from barely being able to communicate to running and playing outside. On this very human level it is a compelling film that mixes documentary and drama to good effect and you easily care for the people.
A scan of the plot may see your mind made up about the cruel Iranian father and the poor oppressed wife and girls, however to do this is a mistake because the film never does this, not once. The film looks at the people but it also looks at the view of society on women and the attitudes involved; it would be easy to just slate the religious, comparatively oppressive approach of such religious states but the film is too good for that. Instead it takes a balanced view that weighs up both views and doesn't judge anyone. By doing this the film is only stronger and more interesting because it comes over as a debate that engaged my brain in that aspect just as much as it engaged me with the people in the story.
The cast are almost all the real people "playing" their roles in front of the camera as they really happen; I'm sure some of it were staged reconstructions but mostly it convinces as the real deal happening as we watch. The father is compelling and the film's balance is evident in that it allows him to be confused and bewildered about the accusations against him. The wife is well presented as well confounding those who will have tuned in to see a cruel man oppressing the women in his life. The twin girls are easy to like and they are the human aspect of the story come (literally) to life their development is touching and engaging.
Overall this is an excellent mix of documentary and drama that works on many levels. It is a human story that is touching but also works on other levels, being a thoughtful and balanced look at Iranian society, the restraints on people and on women generally. Without judging, it builds an interesting debate that produces a strong film that is well worth seeking out.
Impressive debut
stewiegriffin8824 June 2010
I am a huge fan of Persian cinema. What I find most striking and pleasantly surprising is the lack of melodrama of any sort- a rarity in Asian cinema which is known for its over-the-top expressions and loud performances.
Like most other Iranian films, the performances are strikingly natural, right from the protagonist to the flower-girl who appears for less than ten seconds. The storyline is fairly predictable- within the first 20 minutes, you'll know what to expect from the rest of the movie. There are no twists, nothing that will catch you by surprise. Then again, it isn't a movie that tries to do so either. It is a bland story of the highs and lows of life in Iran, with a few laughs thrown in for good measure.
The Apple is not the greatest Iranian movie ever made- it does not possess the thought-provoking subtlety of The Circle or the heart-wrenching innocence of The Children of Heaven, but for a movie directed by an 18year old (and a woman at that), it is a fine effort.
Like most other Iranian films, the performances are strikingly natural, right from the protagonist to the flower-girl who appears for less than ten seconds. The storyline is fairly predictable- within the first 20 minutes, you'll know what to expect from the rest of the movie. There are no twists, nothing that will catch you by surprise. Then again, it isn't a movie that tries to do so either. It is a bland story of the highs and lows of life in Iran, with a few laughs thrown in for good measure.
The Apple is not the greatest Iranian movie ever made- it does not possess the thought-provoking subtlety of The Circle or the heart-wrenching innocence of The Children of Heaven, but for a movie directed by an 18year old (and a woman at that), it is a fine effort.
A powerfully subtle, highly intelligent and compassionate film, visually stunning.
sarbryt26 November 2006
I can't add much to the review by Bob the Moo from Birmingham, who pretty much sums up the strengths of this film. However, as an illustration of the skill of the film-maker I would like to mention one scene that stands out in my memory, not in detail so as not to 'spoil', where a sense of incipient menace is subtly hinted at - one is almost expecting something horrible to go wrong to prove that it was right to keep the girls imprisoned for their own safety and this looks like being the moment when it happens; one hardly dares hope that it will have a happy and positive outcome - but it doesn't. It turns out there is nothing to worry about at all. This sounds like a non-event, but I found the subtlety with which this point was made quite outstanding.
The film is a pure delight, more powerful than any heavy diatribe against repressive regimes. The compassion with which all participants are presented in their own contexts, particularly the father who could have been demonised but isn't, is also outstanding. No judgements are made, and the lessons are all the more clear and convincing for that.
This is a film that stands out in my mind, both visually and symbolically, as clearly today as when I saw it several years ago.
The film is a pure delight, more powerful than any heavy diatribe against repressive regimes. The compassion with which all participants are presented in their own contexts, particularly the father who could have been demonised but isn't, is also outstanding. No judgements are made, and the lessons are all the more clear and convincing for that.
This is a film that stands out in my mind, both visually and symbolically, as clearly today as when I saw it several years ago.
The apple of eden
snauth18 June 2005
"The apple" is very much from the school of Kiarostami, Makhmalbaf & Co. Some call it Iranian Cinema, and I have my background info from a Documentary on "Iranian Cinema", too. Directed by Samira Makhbalbaf, the daughter of the Makhbalhaf I was referring to before. Wait, let's start again: Samira, undoubtedly influenced by her father Mohsen, made a movie about a story which was in the papers. Her style is moralist, she has a mission: Show the 'real story' behind the news. Tell us about the perspective of the real people behind the story. The artistic means is to take the 'real people' and let them (rein)act the things, and film it. All this is done in a nice style, which shows that it was done _for_ and not against those people. In the end she has a message: the apple of eden (=see the world, don't stay at home, enjoy enlightenment, take part in buying and selling, have contact with other people...) is a scary thing, but it is not that scary as people would think. This fear makes them do such things like locking in their children for 11 years. That is the message, and it is told in a charming way. Still, personally I could not quite identify, because this is not my problem. There Abbas' messages (also told through the vehicle of 'real' people) are much closer to my life.
Truly unique Iranian film. See it!
Red-1253 October 1999
"The Apple" (Sib) is a one-of-a-kind movie. It is a semi-documentary, with some recreated footage and some (apparently) real footage. The bare-bones plot describes an extremely poor Iranian family. They have raised their twin daughters in isolation--the children have never been outside their home, and have apparently never spoken to anyone other than the parents. It is obvious that the two girls have significant developmental delays. We will probably never know what percentage of their delays is due to nurture and what percentage is due to nature. (There is a passing reference to malnutrition. Perhaps this also has played a role both prenatally and postnatally.)
A dedicated and resourceful social worker takes the children under her wing. The interaction between the children, their parents, their new friends, and the social worker is fascinating. This movie works as drama, as documentary, and as an insight into problems and solutions in a culture very different from my own. I consider "The Apple" a must-see.
A dedicated and resourceful social worker takes the children under her wing. The interaction between the children, their parents, their new friends, and the social worker is fascinating. This movie works as drama, as documentary, and as an insight into problems and solutions in a culture very different from my own. I consider "The Apple" a must-see.
A funny and poignant Iranian drama
SumanShakya7 October 2021
Two 12 years old twin girls locked in the house by their unemployed father face the outside world for the first time when they are released by a social worker to see the real world. Innocence and gratitude are what pervades in this sweet little Iranian drama based on a true story with the children acting themselves. The sweetness is just overwhelmed with the innocence of the children, which just touches. Definitely not as compelling to "Children of Heaven," the film feels a bit slow but still has its moments to cherish. Overall, it's not a landmark movie but still provides the pleasure of a decent cinematic experience.
Rating: 2 stars out of 4.
Rating: 2 stars out of 4.
From Darkness to Light
two-rivers9 March 2000
The star-spangled night sky is accompanied by an unimaginable cold. Despite the twenty degrees below freezing I step outside, urged by an irresistible impulse. And I'm already crossing the mountains, driving on a hardened surface of snow. The next cinema is twenty miles away, and tonight it offers a special alternative program. I go inside and suddenly something magic happens: The cold outside world is forgotten, and instead I feel inundated by the warmth and the inspiration of the recent Iranian cinema. I watch "Sib" ("The Apple"), the first movie of 18-year-old Samira Makhmalbaf. It's a semi-documentary, a film about an authentic social case, in which the protagonists portray themselves: A father, a 65-year-old beggar, and a blind mother keep their twin daughters shut in their house for more than eleven years. They are denounced by their neighbors, and a social worker steps in to tell the parents what they have to do. But she has to combat the stubbornness of the father who claims that his daughters are like flowers, and if you let them go out into the sun they will fade and eventually perish.
Precisely the opposite happens: Once liberated, the girls, who at the beginning are unable to coordinate their movements and whose rare attempts of speech are mostly inaudible or incomprehensible, not only start to discover the world but also slowly begin to blossom out. Beams of light are illuminating their eyes as they find new friends and learn how to communicate. In the end they even succeed in sweeping away the barriers of ignorance of their father and lead him on the way to a brighter future.
It is stunning to watch an almost complete transformation like this taking place. The change is both physical and spiritual, and it is a step towards a better world. This movie is a weapon against the void, a remedy for all kinds of hopelessness: it fills you, it enlightens you, it dispels the dark shadows of your life.
Precisely the opposite happens: Once liberated, the girls, who at the beginning are unable to coordinate their movements and whose rare attempts of speech are mostly inaudible or incomprehensible, not only start to discover the world but also slowly begin to blossom out. Beams of light are illuminating their eyes as they find new friends and learn how to communicate. In the end they even succeed in sweeping away the barriers of ignorance of their father and lead him on the way to a brighter future.
It is stunning to watch an almost complete transformation like this taking place. The change is both physical and spiritual, and it is a step towards a better world. This movie is a weapon against the void, a remedy for all kinds of hopelessness: it fills you, it enlightens you, it dispels the dark shadows of your life.
The Apple - Samira Makhmalbaf film review
sumievb20 July 2023
Influential Iranian director Mohsen Makhmalbaf's daughter Samira Makhmalbaf follows her father at the age of eighteen, the outstanding quality of 'The Apple', her debut docudrama is its power to protect its characters went down a rabbit hole. A Muslim family in Iran-an aged father, his blind wife, and their two adolescent daughters - Zahra Naderi, and Masume Naderi make the plot. In a rarely amused moment in the film, one small girl asks the social worker- Is it her father or grandfather- a metaphor? It all begins with their neighbours informing the social welfare department about the plight of these girls imprisoned by their parents for long years. They hadn't stepped out or taken a bath in years. What we see is a total family, except the father locking themselves in their house in an alley as they believe girls are not safe or meant to be outside. Father teaches them chores that fit them for marriage. The blind mother never shows her face and It's unbearable to watch her as we feel words come out of a walking piece of cloth.
The only little world Zahra and Masume own is the voices from nature and the opposite house. They limb and mumble small words behind bars. When the social worker meets the family, the disorders of these socially withdrawn girls move us. At the welfare center, they looked clean and comfortable but the only thing bothered their visiting mother was the missing scarves on their heads. Immediately, Zahra and Masume were taken home.
The Apple's static shots in dull hues efficiently capture the dead lives of its caged protagonists. Samira's brilliance lies in showing the father sowing the locked bars out of a do-or-die situation. He now prefers freedom and honour against his wife's wishes. In a parallel shot, a boy playing with an apple tempts the girls outside. For the first time, they walk on the street and befriend other girls and relish freedom under the sky.
The Apple is based on a true story of liberation from the chains of ignorance. Masking its controversial background, the film's facade invites a thought-provoking change.
Read my reviews on Pixstory.
The only little world Zahra and Masume own is the voices from nature and the opposite house. They limb and mumble small words behind bars. When the social worker meets the family, the disorders of these socially withdrawn girls move us. At the welfare center, they looked clean and comfortable but the only thing bothered their visiting mother was the missing scarves on their heads. Immediately, Zahra and Masume were taken home.
The Apple's static shots in dull hues efficiently capture the dead lives of its caged protagonists. Samira's brilliance lies in showing the father sowing the locked bars out of a do-or-die situation. He now prefers freedom and honour against his wife's wishes. In a parallel shot, a boy playing with an apple tempts the girls outside. For the first time, they walk on the street and befriend other girls and relish freedom under the sky.
The Apple is based on a true story of liberation from the chains of ignorance. Masking its controversial background, the film's facade invites a thought-provoking change.
Read my reviews on Pixstory.
The Apple leaves a good taste in my Mouth
Style_is_Substance13 March 2016
Definitely one of the best films of the 1990's in my opinion, The Apple is an engaging Persian film about two young girls discovering the outside world for the first time after being imprisoned inside their homes by their strict parents. The production of the film itself is highly interesting, with director Samira Makhmalbaf at age seventeen while shooting some of the real-life people involved that are playing themselves, which surprisingly includes the strict father fighting for his daughter's custody. The film's plot is rather uneventful for the most part as it appears to more so document the subjects in a staged manner. Samira Makhmalbaf presents every scene in a subtle way and doesn't make overt and obvious comments to manipulate the audience to think one way. Instead the characters/subjects on screen make the arguments for themselves without one necessarily winning over the other; this allows viewers to think for themselves with a near equal amount of screen time the parents and the social worker has on screen. The scenes involving the children excellently displays childhood innocence and learning to adapt into a new surrounding. Obviously, due to the uneventful plot and slow pace, this is not a film for everybody. But if you are not one to easily call a film boring or pretentious because you subjectively don't like it, then check it out. You may like it.
A truly contrived and ultimately dishonest movie
ArtemisDW11 May 2005
I really wanted to like this movie, especially after seeing an interview with the exceptionally bright 'director'. But sadly I have to say that I have never felt so blatantly manipulated by a movie. The mixture of reality and forced acting was embarrassing, the entire experience was contrived and frankly very poor. If this movie had been made in the UK or Holland or the US it would have been seen for what it is: a lame, lazy and dishonest piece of film-making. I wonder how much responsibility for this movie really lies on the director, since her father is such an influential figure in Iranian cinema. She is clearly very intelligent and committed, and I am sure she was touched by the girls experience, however she managed to create a really uneasy mix of reality and contrived set ups, which in my opinion set very uncomfortably together and created an extremely stale feel to the whole film. This Apple (I don't even want to get into discussing the pathetic symbolism of the fruit!!) has left a really bad taste in my mouth.
Two girls locked in home for eleven years finally get a chance to go out and play.
mattl28 October 1998
Like many recent films from Iran this one has a simple plot line, light humor, and a humanitarian streak that is rarely seen in American films. Yet it too has a resonance due to its use of metaphor and to a rather complex theme. The film starts with concerned neighbors signing a petition for social workers to investigate a home where their blind mother and out-of-work father have locked up two girls for eleven years. Social workers "rescue" the (now slightly autistic) girls then give them back to their parents. What follows is an initiation period in which a social worker and the father have a seriocomic encounter in which he gets a kind of comeuppance and the girls go out into the neighborhood and begin to make friends despite their lack of social skills. What's most harrowing about the film is that it's based on a real life event and the principal characters play themselves. What's more it's directed by an 18 year-old Iranian woman. Highly recommended.
wonderful - see it!
taupo1927 November 2011
Warning: Spoilers
From the beginning I was enchanted by this movie. I was worried over the story line as I'm rather sensitive to films about kids being abused so I was getting ready to be upset by it but the assured directing, the wonderful naturalness of the acting - not to mention the balanced story telling settled me down. The fact that the Father and Mother weren't monsters but ignorant with misguided principles based around fear of the outside world helped me to get over my initial worries and I ended up thoroughly enjoy it. It's rare I give a movie over 7.5 but this one absolutely deserves the 8. In fact I would like to give it 8.5 but the IMDb system doesn't allow it.
Terrible, terrible film
sodium_fan_club26 May 2008
Warning: Spoilers
This film is high on my list of the worst films I have ever seen, it is so excruciatingly boring and pretentious (the English title being The Apple, that irritates me so much), how this has an average rating of 7.2 (!!!) I will never know, and for those who gave this a 10 I don't know what films you are watching but if you think this film is perfect than you really need to seek help. The ridiculously high rating for this film has really questioned my faith in IMDb's rating system and the people who rate films on this website. The only relevance to the title in the entire film is one part where a boy dangles an apple to taunt one of the girls, thats it. WTF. Unless I missed some kind of extravagant metaphor in the apple I do not see the point of the scene (as with many of the scenes) at all, let alone naming the film after it. The shots and editing is amateurish, and the plot is so weak. It seemed like the director tried to stretch the flimsy plot out for as long as possible to try and fill the time up, and watching this film was without doubt one of the most boring two hours of my life. Please, please if you haven't seen it do not be fooled by the crazy rating and watch something(anything)else.
Not without his daughters!
MickeyTo2 April 2000
One of the great pleasures I get out of watching foreign films is that I get see a real culture, not tainted by the political or mythical stereotypes that we have put upon them. The Apple (a.k.a. Sib) is perfect example, as it is an Iranian made production that speaks nothing of terrorism, but only of the people.
The Apple walks a thin line between documentary and drama as it tells the story of two young girls who have never walked outside their home in all the 11 years they have been alive. As the film opens, neighbors have written a letter to the Child Welfare department, and a case worker comes to the home to take the children away. Their father, a fundamentalist muslim, and their blind mother protest this and are allowed to take them back only if they promise to treat them properly.
What is truly amazing about this film is that is was filmed by Massoumeh Naderi, a seventeen year old actress and director, and that it stars the actual children and their father. As I watched this film I wasn't aware of this fact and I recall thinking about the amateur acting, yet how these characters seemed so believable. All of this makes me want to see the film again.
The Apple is one of the few films that has left thinking long after the credits have rolled and I am sure I will be disecting it for weeks to come. A review I read after the film questioned how the American media might cover a story of two children being locked away. I, on the other hand, am pondering the films intent, (I gather it is about women's rights) and the state of affairs for the real people who live in Iran.
Wow!
The Apple walks a thin line between documentary and drama as it tells the story of two young girls who have never walked outside their home in all the 11 years they have been alive. As the film opens, neighbors have written a letter to the Child Welfare department, and a case worker comes to the home to take the children away. Their father, a fundamentalist muslim, and their blind mother protest this and are allowed to take them back only if they promise to treat them properly.
What is truly amazing about this film is that is was filmed by Massoumeh Naderi, a seventeen year old actress and director, and that it stars the actual children and their father. As I watched this film I wasn't aware of this fact and I recall thinking about the amateur acting, yet how these characters seemed so believable. All of this makes me want to see the film again.
The Apple is one of the few films that has left thinking long after the credits have rolled and I am sure I will be disecting it for weeks to come. A review I read after the film questioned how the American media might cover a story of two children being locked away. I, on the other hand, am pondering the films intent, (I gather it is about women's rights) and the state of affairs for the real people who live in Iran.
Wow!
Movie with a Message
prakash_sj31 May 2004
Director Samira Makhmalbaf in her movie Sib (The Apple) speaks of how two young girls are confined to the four-walls of their house. At a time when women are treated on par with men, it is saddening to see that there are places in this world (Iran for one) where people still consider it taboo to educate the woman child, or as in this movie even let them outside their homes to see how the world looks like.
There's more to it. Their father is a 65-year-old beggar and their mom a blind lady who is paranoid about her daughters going to school or even outside their house. Their folks don't ever keep the girls clean. They are even deprived of a decent bath all these years. The result: The girls are unable to think like normal kids and grow up slightly deranged. Other than the blooming flowerpot outside their house and the sun, the girls have hardly witnessed what God's creation (Earth) looks like. This mere fact shocks viewers IMMEDIATELY. The pathetic plight of the girls will make viewers reach for their hankies.
But there's hope. They do get to come out and see the world and learn things when a social service organization helps them out. What happens, next and how they do it is for you to see.
The movie in its entirety moves more like a documentary and less like a movie. It is definitely not the run-of-the-mill cinema. In-fact it is on a higher plane than even commercial cinema. The social message is so powerful that the movie leaves a strong impression about the future of the woman child in places like Iran etc.
Critically acclaimed, Samira directed this movie when she was only 19. Kudos to her. At a age whilst most of us haven't even figured out life, here is someone who speaks of social problems plaguing third world countries. Must view for those who look for a social message in movies.
There's more to it. Their father is a 65-year-old beggar and their mom a blind lady who is paranoid about her daughters going to school or even outside their house. Their folks don't ever keep the girls clean. They are even deprived of a decent bath all these years. The result: The girls are unable to think like normal kids and grow up slightly deranged. Other than the blooming flowerpot outside their house and the sun, the girls have hardly witnessed what God's creation (Earth) looks like. This mere fact shocks viewers IMMEDIATELY. The pathetic plight of the girls will make viewers reach for their hankies.
But there's hope. They do get to come out and see the world and learn things when a social service organization helps them out. What happens, next and how they do it is for you to see.
The movie in its entirety moves more like a documentary and less like a movie. It is definitely not the run-of-the-mill cinema. In-fact it is on a higher plane than even commercial cinema. The social message is so powerful that the movie leaves a strong impression about the future of the woman child in places like Iran etc.
Critically acclaimed, Samira directed this movie when she was only 19. Kudos to her. At a age whilst most of us haven't even figured out life, here is someone who speaks of social problems plaguing third world countries. Must view for those who look for a social message in movies.
What a lovely film
onepotato218 January 2004
This film has a light touch and portrays a culture not of shreiking zealots as the middle-east is usually depicted, but of kindness and love. Narratively it's almost nothing, which is fine with me because Hollywood has ruined narrative and along with it audience expectations of what narrative is.
Miraculously, despite the topic there are still a couple of laughs in the film.
Miraculously, despite the topic there are still a couple of laughs in the film.
from JAIL cell to the Large Prison !!!
fnvry5 January 2023
Story of a 2 young girls with black headscarfs & their female neigborhood who's complaining to the GOV about the imprisionment WHILE wearing mandatory HIJAB in entire movie !!! I'm speechless ... this movie stands on the point of view an IRANIAN single female social worker Logic while she's wearing mandatory & ragulated full official IRANIAN HIJAB (uniform & headscarf) In the mid eastern hot summer from the beggining till the very end !!! ... ARE you kidding me ?! Who's in prison and where is the apple 🍎 ?! ... the very same character who's scream about public experience & freedom of choice has Already been living of the prisoner system of her own government which she's got this very job ! It's schizophrenic logic ! ... Name ONE person who's not in prison in this film ? Can you ?! ... I wished this was the only problem with this movie but the logic of the social worker who is absolutely hopeless & has no solution other than "why not" is killing me ... she has no idea how to handle the kids ( any child) at all ... so let's just give the girls a mirror ! Meanwhile Someone needs to give her & the director a BIG BIG mirror to see though it how she has been locked up for generations and too blind to see the regime playing with EVERYONE Apples 🍏 now How Do You Like Them Apples.
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