Synopsis:
The film and camera of Maysam Makhmalbaf, Samira’s brother follows her like an invisible eye. From her first subconscious presence as an actor, when she was one months old and crying in her mothers arms, while acting in a feature movie made by his father up to her first conscious appearance as an 8 year old child actor in the movie Cyclist made by his father in Pakistan. From when Samira made her first movie Apple at 17 or when she goes to visit the two imprisoned girls in the movie “Apple” and when she is occupied with changing the professional actor of the movie “Blackboard” with a non-professional actor (ordinary people) and even when she was attending the Cannes Film Festival in the years 1998 and 2000.
How Samira Made the Blackboard is not simply a behind the scenes video documentary. I grew up with Samira in the same house, I was her childhood playmate, her classmate in the Makhmalbaf Film House, her editor and videographer in her first films, her set photographer in the Apple and the Blackboard, in fact, I am her brother!
My sister has been the focus of international attention as a young Iranian female director. Working alongside her for the early part of her career, gave me much insight on the making of a filmmaker. With this film, I share with my audience, Samira’s life and work during the making of the Blackboard and follow her to Cannes 2000 where she presented the film and received an award for it. Meanwhile, my reflections of her childhood and her training as a filmmaker seeks to produce a more accurate picture of Samira as a person as well as a filmmaker.
How Samira Made the Blackboard is a video diary of how Samira as an infant in her mother’s arms appearing in her father’s film, went on to become an international filmmaker admired by many.
Original Title: Samira Chegoneh Takhteh Siyah Ra Sakht
Director, Videographer, Editor: Maysam Makhmalbaf
Sound: Mojtaba Mirtahmasb
Production: Makhmalbaf Film House
International Sales: Makhmalbaf Film House (UK)
Iran, 73 min, Colour, 2000
- Moscow International Film Festival, Russia. 2001
- Rotterdam International Film Festival, Netherland.2001
- Sao Paolo International Film Festival, Brazil.2000
- Cinematic, Sweden. 2000
- The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, USA.2000
- The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. USA. 2000
- Pusan International Film Festival.Korea.2000
- Venice International Film Festival, Italy .2000
