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Interview with Iranian cinéaste Mohsen Makhmalbaf by Lalit Rao

Film Critic Lalit Rao spoke to Iranian Cinéaste Mohsen Makhmalbaf in New Delhi on 18/07/2004 during 6th Osian Cinefan Asian Film Festival 2004.

Lalit Rao: On numerous occasions you have quoted famous Iranian poet Rumi: "The truth is a mirror that falls from the hand of God and shatters into pieces. Everyone picks up a piece and believes that that piece contains the whole truth, even though the truth is left sown about in each fragment." What have you been trying to prove by quoting Rumi ?

Mohsen Makhmalbaf:Behind this example there is one truth.Truth is not one thing.It is about the people.It is like anger. You are a fascist if you think that truth is in your hands.Clerics think that truth is in their hands.If you do not agree with them then they think that you are against them.It is like dmocracy based on different values.If there is only one way to portray truth then all the people are wrong.A piece of truth in your hands shows that you are so small.

Lalit Rao:In the present age good films are not being made.Do you think that filmmakers have run out of good stories ?

Mohsen Makhmalbaf:According to me there are 2 kinds of filmmaking.For example:Hollywood & Bollywood.For these people cinema is like a factory.Film making is like a business for them.They want to make as much money as they can.As far as their films are concerned,they don’t take risks.They follow each ohers’ successes.Their films are full of usual clichés like sex,violence,melodrama etc.These films are far from true life.In real life there is no violence,song and dance as portrayed in Bollywood movies.Go to USA even there the life of the people is same life that of Indian people,Iranian people.In cinema viewers want to forget their life.For me cinema is like a mirror through which I can put in front the soul of life.

Lalit Rao:Could you please tell more about your cinema school “Makhmalbaf Film House” ?

Mohsen Makhmalbaf: Makhmalbaf Film House is both a film production house as well as a film school.8 years ago my daughter Samira Makhmalbaf decided to learn the art of cinema.I accepted to be her guide.Makhmalbaf Film House has some of my friends and even their children as students.The ministry of culture in Iran did not accept my proposal to set up a film school as they said that they were already fed up with one Makhmalbaf (Mohsen Makhmalbaf) and stated that they did not want hundreds of other Makhmalbafs to emerge.At Makhmalbaf Film House it is not only the cinema which is taught.Apart from the art of cinema,subjects like Sociology,Economics,Management,Psychology etc are also taught.The students are initiated in editing,sound recording,acrting,script writing etc.We also have courses on understanding poetry,swimming,reading the map of Teheran and even riding a bicycle.There are 30 lessons divided in two sections.The first section is about cinema and art.The other section is associated with understanding life.

Lalit Rao:You became famous in Iran with your fourth film “Boycott” (1985).What are your views on your earlier films ?

Mohsen Makhmalbaf:When I was young my grand mother told me that I would go to hell if I see films.My father-in-law was a political activist.In my younger days,I was a partisan against Savak (Shah’s secret police).I was jailed for 4 1/2 years.when I left prison in 1979 many of my friends had become politicians.Before the 1979 Islamic revolution Iranian people were leading a wrong life.After the revolution everybody thought that if Shah is driven out of Iran everything would be OK.I therefore became writer and filmmaker to change the minds of Iranians.My films can be divided into 3 phases.1) Religious 2)Socio-cultural 3) Philosophical.My film “Nights on the Zayandeh Road (1991) was critical of power structure in Iran.

Lalit Rao:You have made films and documentaries.Which film of yours do you rate as your best work ?

Mohsen Makhmalbaf:I believe in the subject of the film I am making.Whenever I make a film,I am the other Mohsen Makhmalbaf the director.When a baby is born it is born to a mother not to a girl.I usually focus on one subject.This subject comes insides my heart and captures it.Before 9/11,I was working on my film “Kandahar”.As you know there were 3 million Afghan refugees in Iran.They were being driven out of Afghanistan and even they were forced to quit Iran as Iranian government was unable to deal with them.I secretly went to Heart and was shocked to see the plight of 20,000 Afghan refugees living in deplorable conditions.They were dying because of hunger.I wanted to inform international community of their miserable existence through my film.It must be kept in mind that I portrayed human suffering before 9/11.When my film was shown in Cannes,a lot of journalists asked me “Why this film”? “What is the subject of the film” ? Through my film,I wanted to have world’s attention on Kandahar.I felt as if “Kandahar” is not my film but my pain.The refugees were running from Taliban by entering Iran but Iranian police puhed them back.I had just one question.“What is my role as a filmmaker”? My making a film is not like business for me.By making films,I want to change something in the minds of my audience.I questioned myself.What do I do for poor people ? While making “Kandahar”,I was busy working for Afghan people by establishing an NGO:ACEM (Afghan Children Education Movement).When I make a film,I change myself too.My organisation Makhmalbaf Film House helped 17 Afghan filmmakers in producing their films.

Lalit Rao:Music is considered blasphemous in Islam.What is your opinion regarding musical score in your films ?

Mohsen Makhmalbaf:Personally,I do not believe in this.I believe in god but I am not a muslim (in the strict senses of the word).I do not however use much music in my films.I make films not music.

Lalit Rao:What kind of public do you have in your mind when you make your films ?

Mohsen Makhmalbaf:Earlier,I had Iranian audience in my made when I made films.Little by little,when I became famous,I realised that my life is my work.I love poor people and always think of doing something for their welfare.Something which can change their lives.Nevertheless,it must be remembered that humanity is not only for people.Even rich people need love and affection.

Lalit Rao:Why did western world take so long to recognise the importance of Iranian cinema ?

Mohsen Makhmalbaf:Before 1979 Islamic revolution there was a lot of feel good cinema made in Iran.There were some good films too.These films included “Cow”-Dariush Mehrjui,films by Sohrab Shahid Saless,“The night it rained”-Kamran Shirdel,Black is the house-Farroukh Farroghzad.After Islamic revolution the aesthetic quality of Iranian cinema increased as government stopped exportation of foreign films to Iran.May people thought that Iranian cinema would be dead.That is not what has happened.There was strict censorship which ensured that films involving sex and violence were not made.I think that these were good steps for changing the atmosphere of Iranian cinema.In Iran we have more than 30,000 poets but not many painters.Now we have more than 500 filmmakers.We were very serious not to follow Hollywood cinema.

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