Persian Treasures: The House is Black

Welcome to the first episode of my new series: Persian Treasures. (The background on the series is explained here) When I first proposed the series, my friend Andrew (Encore’s World of Film and TV) was quick to mention that while he appreciates the idea, he’s not sure if he’s seen any of these films or is even able to seek them out once he finds out about them here. I’m certain he’s not alone. To be honest, the reason I write so little about Iranian cinema despite my desire is that same concern. What interests me about blogging is the conversation, and if I’m going to be talking to myself, well, where’s the fun in that? So to make this easier for him and all of you out there, for the first episode I’ve chosen a short film that’s available in its entirety on YouTube. It may have been wiser to start the series on a happier note, but really, easy access is NOT the only reason I’ve chosen this film. It also happens to be one of my favourite films of all time and it even found quite some love on the newest edition of the Sight & Sound list of the greatest films ever made.

The film in question is The House is Black (خانه سیاه است, Khaaneh Siaah Ast) directed by famous Iranian poet Forough Farrokhzad in 1962. House is notable not only for being the only film in her resume, but because the ever-controversial, iconoclast poet was at the height of her fame when the film came out. Forough, who is famous for the implicit sexuality and the openly critical feminism of her poems, had just finished her fourth and penultimate collection, and was faced with public criticism and negative pressure in a society where Islam and its problematic views on women were not only dominant, but intensifying rapidly as the country was moving toward the Islamic Revolution. Forough had always swum against the current, but The House is Black was a change in direction.