Cinema Weekly
Venice, 2000
By: Karimi
In a TV and Media interview with Samira Makhmalbaf and Marziyeh Meshkini alongside each question that was asked from them a question about Makhmalbaf Film House was asked as well. Samira explained how their house is a school, and a film producing class at the same time. Marziyeh said: In the contemporary world families are falling apart every day. Personal economical progress separates women and children from their families because they are no longer in need of the financial support that they used to get from their family. Variety in relationships and the failure of cultural traditions has destroyed and is destroying the family roots. Most probably in the future traditional families would not be able to easily protect themselves while facing the standards of individualism defend. In the future world the human welfare would become vaster and most families that are holding together because of economical poverty and traditions would fall apart. This could be seen in progressed countries at the time being. In the west even people who love each other mostly live apart rather than living under the same roof. In such a world people would be looking for a new reason for the permanence of families. In the progressed world of future, women are no longer dependent on their husbands because of economical poverty and social organizations would defend the right of children whom are ignored or oppressed by adults and many children would get separated from their families during their teenage years. Teenagers are facing the same problem now days in the western world. Then we would face the period that loneliness would become epidemic. And it is at this time that the necessity of living under the same roof with others and having a family occurs but this family could not be maintained based on the previous economical and traditional reasons, unless a new reason is found. Maybe future families should be established based on a new common culture or along with common human efforts. We have experienced something new in our own house and we managed to establish a new family based on cultural and artistic activities such as filmmaking. Samira says: Difference between generations, parents and children could be seen in all families. And sometimes there isn’t even anything to say between family members while eating at the same table. But as in the family we all have a common cinema activity there is always something to say and even my father Mohsen and Hana, whom is the youngest member of the family, always have something in common to talk about. Our house is a school, a film producing class and a home at the same time. Maybe in the future a house should be more than only a house to make it more attractive. In addition to emotional relationships, economical needs and traditional habits, a common culture is considered a necessity in this regard.
The Phenomenon of Makhmalbaf’s Family
