Film: The House Is Black
Director: Forugh Farrokhzad
Country: Iran
Released: 1963
Runtime: 22 minutes
Genre: Documentary
Studio: Golestan Film Unit
Influenced: Sarah Maldoror, Abbas Kiarostami, Samira Makhmalbaf, Shirin Neshat, Jafar Panahi
The House Is Black (Khaneh siah ast) is a critically acclaimed Iranian documentary film by one of Iran's most famous 20th century poets and feminists, Forugh Farrokhzad. The film depicts the daily lives of lepers living in a leper colony in Tabriz, in the northwest East Azerbaijan province of Iran, and opens with a series of black & white images of desolate landscapes, broken buildings and the physical deformities of the lepers. Throughout the film, the ghostly voice of Farrokhzad can be heard in the background and her poetic words provide a poignant commentary on the lives of the lepers, supplemented by readings from the Old Testament and Koran.
Farrokhzad's life is worthy of a film in itself. Married at just 16, Farrokhzad soon obtained a divorce but lost custody of her infant son. Estranged from her family, she worked odd jobs and published poems and then, aged 23, she was employed as a clerk at Golestan Film Studios where she developed a relationship with its head, film director Ebrahim Golestan. She became involved in the studio’s production activities and made trips to Europe to study filmmaking and then finally, in 1962, wrote and directed her only major work, The House is Black. She died in a car accident in early 1967 at the age of 32.
"This world is full of ugliness, and there's no shortage of sadness. But there's also a beauty that comes from people who have suffered"
The House is Black shows the daily routines of the lepers, including their regular prayers, meals and medical treatments, often in graphic detail. It also shows the interactions between the lepers and the medical staff, as well as their relationships with each other. The film portrays the lepers not as victims or objects of pity, but as human beings with dignity and agency. This portrayal challenged the prevailing attitudes towards leprosy in Iranian society, where lepers were often seen as outcasts and untouchables.
"Do not forget that we are all sick in some way, whether it is physically or spiritually. We are all in need of healing"
Iranian documentary filmmaking was still in its infancy at the time of The House Is Black's release and Farrokhzad's use of poetic language in a documentary film was unprecedented, making it hugely influential on many Iranian filmmakers. In addition, the film's themes of social exclusion, disability and mortality give it a universal and timeless appeal, and The House is Black has grown in critical stature over the decades. It is a testament to the power of cinema to create empathy across cultural, linguistic and geographical boundaries. That said, the film remains visually and emotionally challenging to the end, where the tone suddenly becomes darker and more desperate, as Farrokhzad calls out for love and justice.
"Like doves, we cry for justice... and there is none. We wait for light and darkness reigns"
“O overrunning river driven by the force of love... flow to us, flow to us"
Comments