The Pear Tree (Persian: درخت گلابی, romanized: Derakht-e-Golabi) is a 1998 Iranian drama film written and directed by Dariush Mehrjui with Homayoun Ershadi and Golshifteh Farahani in the lead. It was noted for the exemplary craftsmanship of Dariush Mehrjui on his examination of the Iranian bourgeoisie.[1] This film also marked the debut of actress Golshifteh Farahani.[2]
| The Pear Tree | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Dariush Mehrjui |
| Written by | Dariush Mehrjui Goli Taraghi |
| Produced by | Dariush Mehrjui |
| Starring | Homayoun Ershadi Golshifteh Farahani Mohammad Reza Shaban-Noori Nematollah Gorji |
| Cinematography | Mahmoud Kalari |
Release date |
|
Running time | 95 min |
| Country | Iran |
| Language | Persian |
Synopsis edit
Mahmoud (Homayoun Ershadi) is suffering from writer's block and he is unable to continue the book he is currently working upon. He decides to take a break from his routine life and plans to visit his family's rural estate that is situated at north of Tehran. He also intends to complete his book in this visit. While at the estate, Mahmoud's attention is brought to the old Pear Tree that is situated behind the estate by the old gardener of the estate (Nematollah Gorji). Seeing the Pear Tree, Mahmoud thinks about his past - his infatuation towards his 14-year-old female cousin known only as M (Golshifteh Farahani), his adolescent dreams, how that changed over the years. The rest of the film chronicles thoughts of Mahmoud and his past.
Cast edit
- Homayoun Ershadi as Mahmoud
- Golshifteh Farahani as M
- Nematollah Gorji as Old gardener
- Shaghayegh Farahani
- Mohammad Reza Shaban-Noori
- Sassan Bagherpour
- Jafar Bozorgi
- Amir Ali Ghezelayagh
- Shahram Haghighat Doost
- Ahou Alagha
- Rahman Hoseini
- Jahangir Mirshekari
- Maryam Moghbeli
- Maliheh Nazari
Reception edit
The Pear Tree was met with highly positive reviews and considered as a majestic inclination of internalization of Iranian Cinema.[3] This movie is usually considered as one of the finest example of Dariush Mehrjui's craftmanship.[4][5] While some of the reviews compared it with Ingmar Bergman's The Wild Strawberries,[6] some of them noted that some of the flashback scenes served as fragile symbols for the Mehrjui's hope for Iran's future.[7] The performances of Homayoun Ershadi and Golshifteh Farahani were hailed, and so was the cinematography of Mahmoud Kalari.
Awards edit
- Silver Hugo Award for Best Feature Film in Chicago International Film Festival (1998)[8]
- Simorgh Prize for Best Actress for Golshifteh Farahani in Fajr Film Festival (1998)[9]
- Simorg Prize for Best Cinematography for Mahmoud Kalari in Fajr Film Festival (1998)[10]
References edit
- ^ "The Pear Tree". gaiff.am. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
- ^ "IranWire - 50 Iranian Women You Should Known: Golshifteh Farahani". iranwire.com. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
- ^ Teo, Stephen (2013). The Asian Cinema Experience: Styles, Spaces, Theory. Routledge. ISBN 978-1136296086.
- ^ The New York Times Movies
- ^ "Iran Chamber Society: Iranian Cinema: Dariush Mehrjui". iranchamber.com. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
- ^ "The Film Sufi". filmsufi.com. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
- ^ Grunes, David (September 1, 2010). A Short Chronology of World Cinema. Big River Books. ISBN 978-0955384318.
- ^ "Chicago International Film Festival - 1998 — 34th Chicago Film Festival". chicagofilmfestival.com. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
- ^ Anissa Haddadi. "Golshifteh Farahani: The Actress Who Took on the Ayatollahs". International Business Times UK. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
- ^ Dönmez-Colin, Gönül (2006). Cinemas of the Other: A Personal Journey with Film-makers from the Middle East and Central Asia. Intellect Book. ISBN 1841501433.
