Makhmalbaf Family Official Website - وبسایت رسمی خانه فیلم مخملباف

The Tenant

Synopsis:
It’s the story of a young Iranian boy who has come to London to seek asylum as a refugee. He has been tenant of an old lady for the past three month. However he cannot afford paying his £400 monthly rent.
 
The Landlady wants to throw him out. But the young boy asks for a bit more time from her, hoping to afford to pay part of his rent by guiding two blind people during today’s celebration, as well as getting paid for taking care of a small dog for the day.
To keep the old lady satisfied, he puts her on a wheelchair and takes her along to see the celebration with them.
 
The young boy, who suffers from an injury to his head from the past, faints twice during the celebration in the street. While passed out the small dog runs away and he also loses the two blind clients who were on tour with him for the day.
 
Now, the blind boy and girl who have lost their guide wonder in the crowed of people who have come for watching the celebration.
Little by little as they keep each other company, the blind boy and girl seems to fall in love.  And they start to talk about the beautiful things they have seen in their life for each other.
 
As the celebration comes to an end and the crowds return to their homes, the young boy revives. The now quiet street is in a mess with celebration flags and empty beer cans, left behind by the earlier crowed, everywhere.
No matter how much he searches, the young boy cannot find any sign of the dog or the two blind clients of his.
Losing his hope he pushes the old landlady, who is crumpling out of cold weather on her wheelchair, back home.
 
When they arrive at home the old lady does not allow him in anymore and shuts the door on him.
 
The young boy, who is left behind the closed door, keeps knocking the door and the window of the house but to no avail.
He sits against the fence of the old lady’s house, face to the river and while watching the passing trains over the bridge, he gets lost in the thoughts and sadness of an unclear future ahead of him….
 

Director's View: 

In 2014, united nation announced that the number of refugees across the world surpassed fifty millions. Most of these fifty million people have been forced to leave their homeland due to war,  revolution or insecurity in place.
 
These refugees will go through a great deal of hardship before they can find a safe place in another country to settle. Unfortunately a lot of times, the lack of empathy and understanding by the people of the new country make the situation even much harder for these refugees who are already suffering from a great deal of pain and distress.
 

Titles: 

Original Title: The Tenant
Director: Mohsen MAKHMALBAF

Writer:
Mohsen MAKHMALBAF
Marziyeh MESHKINY

Cast:
Amirali KHOSROJERDI
Margarida CORREIA
Alessio BERGAMO
Peggy CASALE
Twiggy
 
D.O.P:
Maysam MAKHMALBAF

First Assistant Director: Hana MAKHMALBAF

Editor: Marziyeh MESHKINY
1st Camera assistant: Fabrizio ACCETTULLI
 
Sound Recorder:
Mike MCCARTNEY
Salar KHOSROJERDI

Sound Designer & Re-recording Mixer:
MALEKI

Production Designer: Hana MAKHMALBAF

Make Up & Costume:
Susan CORDIO
Peter SKINNER
 
Producer: Maysam MAKHMALBAF

Co-producer:
Victor Koo
Frank Wei
David Cao
Jiang Chunfang
 
Productions:
Makhmalbaf Film House Productions
 
In coproduction with:
Youku
HKIFF
 
A UK - China - Hong Kong Co-Production
Color, 20 minutes, 2015, 
 
International Sales:
Makhmalbaf Film House
Youku (China)
 

Festivals: 

1. Hong Kong International Film Festival, Hong Kong 2015
2. Beirut International Film Festival, Lebanon 2015