Film: Sangge Sabour (The Patience Stone)

Salam, Eydetun Mobarak! Today is the 6th of Syawal. Just like past years, this year I'm in charged for pecel job. I'm so lucky and grateful that I was able to help my mum again during this eid.

Today is the first day of work after eid, and I want to share a film I watched during hari raya. Of course Astro A-List brought this film. Sangge Sabour is a film by a French (if i'm not mistaken) but most of the actors are iranian outside iran. The main actress is the controversial Golshifteh Farahani, one of most beautiful woman on earth. The film is about a life of a wife whom her husband is wounded during war in Afghanistan. Her tragic life of being left alone with a comma husband is a destroyed neighborhood. Since the tragedy that happened to her husband, she tried to tell the comman husband of all that had happened to her. The cruel life of being an Afghanistan woman - to be blame if she is infertile where she did everything to make herself pregnant even cheating to her husband. To sell herself to the militia in order to get money for life. In his comma, actually the husband heard everything and lastly he came alive and wanted to kill the wife but golshifteh killed him first.

Overall, I give 5 stars for this film. Golshifteh is a one good actress. No wonder she gets many job outside iran. The title of this film reminds me of golshifteh when she was in Santoori film. The first iranian film I watched. The OST for Santoori is Sange Sabour by Mohsen Chavosi. 

Sange Sabour by Mohsen Chavosi

Taa daafeye baad, khoda hafez!

Be Khatere Pooneh (Because of Pooneh)

Today I come back kampung. 

I checked on Astro A-List and saw this film.

I've watched this film before and watch it again tonight.

A very nice film.

Love any film with Haniyeh Tavassoli.

Film: Melbourne (ملبورن)

I watched this film during 2015 International Fajr Film Festival. There were lots of films to watch but I choose this simply because the actor and actress, Peyman Moaadi actor for the famous "The Separation" film and Negar Javaherian actress for "Hoze Naghashi" (Painting Pool) film. Oh, I didn't share about these 2 films but these 2 are among the best Iranian films I ever watched.

Back to "Melbourne". At first I was expecting a story that focused on something related to Melbourne but it's not really. It's about a couple's experience on the day they will depart to Melbourne. More specifically, it tells a tragedy that happened to them before their departure. Their neighbor(the father) asked them to baby sit  his baby because he wanted to do something outside. On that particular day, they are actually busy packing their things, selling furniture and do things that they have to settle before flying to Australia. In the beginning of the film the husband was 'Skyping' with his friend in Australia and the wife had to settle something outside (I don't really get what she did). The baby was in the room sleeping. Problem started when the husband went to the room, a hard wind blew shutting the door and one of the glass on the door broken. Amazingly the baby did not respond to that situation. Supposedly she'd be shock and cry. When he check the baby he found out that she's not breathing. Both of them got really afraid and in dilemma. Because they are leaving for Melbourne, they don't want any trouble to stop their ultimate opportunity to migrate from Iran. If they ask for help people will know and they might be blamed for causing the death and maybe they will lose the chance for Melbourne. They tried to give excuses to the baby's parents when they came to take the baby. They also tried to hide from the people that came to their house by giving excuses. They're confused what caused the baby to die. At first they thought the baby was dead when the father gave them because the baby did not awake from the time they took from the father. But then when they looked back at the camera they saw that the baby did moved in a different position. In the end they found out that the baby die maybe because of smoke. The husband is a really heavy smoker. Once they understood this situation, they agreed to keep on their plan to Melbourne and decided to place the baby at their neighbor's house, an old lady. And the film ended there...

This is another typical Iranian simple but meaningful film. It just took one location which is a house, a duration of a half day story maybe less. However, the story line was very interesting and the actors and actresses were very good. No wonder they've won several awards internationally, correct me if I'm wrong. Out of 5 I give 4 stars. Oh there's one scene I remember said about Malaysia. A man who came to buy their furniture said things like "Oh my aunty lives in Malaysia, Australia near Malaysia right?" hehe...

Til then...will update about something else soon. Maybe about Dar Hashieh Serial. Yes, I watch it everyday..ta daf'e baad...khoda hafez

Film: Ba Digaran با دیگران (With Other)

It's a story about a couple  who cannot conceive a child. The wife (Arezoo) had a miscarriage. The only way that doctor suggested them is to adopt a surrogate mother. The husband (Amirhossein) does not want to do that but Arezoo insisted to do that as she really wants to have a child. The husband allow it only if they know that the surrogate mother is a good person. Depressed with what is happening and the desire to have a child, she asked her co-worker to become the surrogate mother. She has divorced with her husband who is currently detained in a prison. She lives with his uncle and 2 children. After considering the offer, she agreed to become a surrogate mother for her friend. No one in the family knows about this. One time Amirhossein's mom suddenly came from Neyshabur (the couple live in Mashhad) without telling them first, Arezoo had to put a pillow under her shirt to make sure the mom does not suspicious. Months passed without any problem. One day, the ex-husband got a 2 days leave from prison. He came to her house with intention to re-marry her. But he was frustrated to know that she is pregnant, without even get explanation from her or the uncle. He boarded a train to go back to prison. The last scene showed he stands at the back of a train smoking next to Amirhossein. And for me that is not so satisfying ending. No climax! But again, as usual maybe I am the one who did not understand the story well. Hmmm...I need my translator!!!!

I did not find the movie in Youtube. I watched at Iranproud.

http://www.iranproud.com/movies/drama/ba-digaran

Taa daafeye baad....khoda negahdar

Film: 50 Ghadame Akhar (50 Last Steps)

Hello. It's been a while since my last posts and it's 2015 already. Time flies too fast I think but it does not include time for my Iran travel, it crawls too slow. lol! Yeah, I'm going to Iran soon. Khoda ra shokr, finally. Well, talking about 2015, I'm not happy to enter this year for only 1 reason. Good bye 20's and welcome 30's. Arghhhh I feel really old already. I just don't like number 3! 2 is the best! But that's the reality. My wish for this year is just to let everything that I'm doing now goes smoother coz I think 2014 was a bit harsh to me.

So, today I want to share this film 50 Ghadame Akhar. As usual I browsed Iranproud to see the latest movies and based on the star, I chose this 4 star film. At first I was not fascinated with the story line. It's about one man (forgot the name), an electrical engineer that was approached by Iran's intelligence spy that wanted him to become jasus (spy), to install electrical equipments (radar) in the border of Iran Iraq. At first he reluctant to do, but finally he decided to go because it just take several hours to finish his task. One night, together with a soldier they went to install the radar. But things didn't go as what they planned. He was bitten by a scorpion and couldn't walk. He was separated with the soldier and don't have any idea to go out from that dangerous place. He was seen by an Iraqi soldier that want to surrender but he mistakenly think that the Arab is enemy. He shot that that Arab. Before the Arab died, he got to say something about his wife and family and handed a piece of paper and ask him to give it to his wife. But I don't really understand what is written on the paper. Later, he was found by a Kurdish man who brought him to a Kurdish family's house. There, a kurdish girl helped him out from the house because she knows that the man that found him was a bad guy. From there started his journey to find his way home. It was a miserably journey until one day when he had lost hope, a dog saved his life and he finally meet with his soldier friend. In the end, it showed the current Iran and that man is now a university's lecturer and married with a Kurdish woman (since he talked in a phone with his son in Kurdish language). I'm not sure who he married to. Maybe the girl who saved him from the Kurdish family's house. I better watch again this film with my husband to understand better. If you like a revolution or war film, this is a must watch film. Overall I give 3.5 stars.

Ta daafeye baad....khoda hafez

Film: 5 Setareh (5 Star)

Maryam Hashemi is a 20 years old girl who just passed her konkoor test to enroll in bachelor of medicine (daroo sazi) at Islamic Azad University Roodeheh. Her family cannot afford to pay tuition fees as well as other expenses for her to register in the university. Therefore, with help from her mom, she was introduced to work part time at 5 star hotel, the same place with her mother as a housekeeper. Maryam doing her best in her job that makes the supervisor Mr. Reza likes her. Even though Mr. Reza never says anything, people around realized how he treats Maryam. The most person that hates this fact is Ms. Mohtashami the so called Mr. Reza's girlfriend. She does not agreed with the fact that Maryam is working part time. She tried to fire Maryam but the top management call Maryam back to work. Her objective to rid off Maryam from the hotel is going to succeed when a guest's watch (Amitabh Bachan's) was stolen from the room. She suspected 3 housekeepers including Maryam who cleaned the room. Ms. Mohtashami is very strict in job and all the staffs do not like her, even the top managers. Although police did not find any evidence that the 3 housekeepers steal the watch, she still want them to be accused. Finally, Mr. Reza found the watch and he doesn't want to tell how he found it. Because he was so tired and disappointed with Ms. Mohtashami, he is willing to be caught by police so that he can end his relationship with her.

In my opinion, this movie is better than the previous movie I watched because I can understand what's going on and why it happen. Overall i give 4 star out of 5.

Taa daafeye baad..khoda hafez

Zendegi Jaye Digari Ast (Life is at Another Place)

This week Sunday movie as recommended in Iran Proud. Agha Davood is a doctor which is diagnosed with brain tumor and expected to live only for 3-4 months. He had divorced with Shahrzad (Niki Karimi) and their children are living with him. After divorced he "married" sigheh with one woman for a short time just to take care the children but one day she found out she is pregnant Davood's child. Davood asked her to do abortion as he doesn't want to marry "daeim" with her. She reluctant to do but finally agreed. However, as life getting harder realizing he soon gonna die, he plan to give the children custody to his ex-wife and asked the sigheh woman to marry him once the sigheh period ended. On the day of aqdh, the woman confessed that she is actually did not pregnant and she did that because she likes Davood. They end up married and the family went to shomal as he promised his daughter. He tried to accomplish all the things he should have done before he die. In the end, he replaced Shahrzad's husband place in prison just to make sure the children have a good life with Ali (Shahrzad's husband)'s presence.  

How can I fall for Agha Davood's charm. Besides, Ali is very good looking with blue eyes. :) 

Taa daafeye bad...mogharebe khodetun bash azizamssss...

Film: Khate Vijeh خط ویژه (Special Line)

The most fancy dialogue for me is at 44:35 - 45:26. Hahaha I think Iranian censorship council(or whatever they called it, the one that responsible to filtering film content) is more open than Malaysian :). In malaysia no cursing/harsh words/actions are not allowed in film (of course) not even the mild one like bodoh or smoking a cigarette. But in this film they included words such as "khafesho" which means shut up but it really a harsh words in Persian that when anybody said khafesho to me will make me cry :). And another one "bedarak" which means uhmmmm "whatever" but in a harsh way.

Again, this time the director did not disappoint me. Overall it's a good film, full of meanings and moral values.

Any how where is the persian alphabet "jh" on keyboard? I couldnt find it to wrote vijeh. So I copy paste it from internet for the title.

Taa daafe baad.................movazebe khodet bash

Aya Climaxesh Koo? (Where is the climax?)

After some times, tonight I logged in to this blog and decided to write some words motivated after i watched an Iranian movie in Astro A-List where my crush acted. Ashkan Khatibi hi!! :)

The title is قاعده تصادف. Translated as the canon of accident but on tv they translated as bending the rules. But now i dont wana talk about this film. I wanna talk what this post's title is. Where is the climax of Iranian movies. Is it me who didnt understand or it was intentionally created without a clear climax? The director somehow want to make the viewers do conclusion by themselves. Whether they ended marry or no, divorce or no, die or no, going or no etc..

I dont know whether any one of you have the same feeling or no but for me most of the films, particularly the one that got awards have no clear climax. But overall I love the simplicity and value of the films the director tried to deliver.

Taa daaafe baad....khoda hafez

Film: Be Khatere Pooneh

This is one of the films that I like to watch for second time. I remember when I was in Tehran October 2013, I saw the advertisement of this film on a billboard. I was thinking to go to cinema but decided to cancel it because of my health issue. On the night we wanted to go to cinema, there were so many cars queuing to enter cinema parking lot, bf decided to go to hyperstar instead where I fainted!! Back to the film, it's a story of a couple that face difficulties in relationship because of some problems. The husband is drug addicted, the wife seems bored with it (plus other conflicts with husband's family) and happened to have other relationship with another guy (her photoshop instructor/neighbour).  It's not just the story line that excite me, but also at other things like Turkish language the husband talks with his family, there's also one scene that the husband had a hiccup, it shows some remedies that normally iranian people do to stop it (the niece tried to make him shocked, he drinks water while standing and bending half body, lying down on floor while legs on top of body) these are very interesting just like what bf taught me :). The ending..quite satisfying where the wife left the husband because it's too late. Overall I give 4.5 out of 5 stars!!

Film: Sa'adat Abad

I read somewhere that this film is very interesting to watch. So last night I spent my time watching this film. At first I was very excited to see that Leila Hatami was one of the actresses. It's a story about 3 couples of friend attended a mehmooni (ceremony) birthday. Throughout the ceremony, there are 3 conflicts between the 3 couples happening. It's kind of nice story line but overall it's a little bit of bored movie. Only the 6 people, in a one house, in  one occasion. Maybe if I understand farsi better, it'll be a better movie for me. ;) But it's more than ok for me that I could understand the story well (yeah, with some translation by mr. bf of course). Ending, as usual like most of other iranian films..I could'nt understand much why all of the conflicts happened. hurmm...Out of 5 I give3 stars!!

Darband

Last night I watched this film - Darband. At first I just want to play it so that I can fall asleep because lately I have trouble to sleep at night. Normally I will play Boys Avenue medley songs. Before the songs finish I've fallen asleep. But last night when I scroll down my Youtube lists, I saw this film and interested to watch because of the title - Darband. A place that I really want to go. During my last visit to Iran, bff wanted to take me there but when we were on our way, the traffic was so bad and there was no good parking lot. So we end up went to Sortomeh. I am expecting the film to show places in Darband but actually there were I think only 1 scene there in it's just a couple of minutes.

However, I watched the film til the end. It was a very interesting film. Just like most of Iranian films, it was a simple movie, no extravaganza props but full of meaning. I am very satisfied with this film. Moreover what makes me happier is that I can understand the film without English subtitles. Kudos to myself!

The film tells a story of a girl (Nazanin), a 1st semester medical student in one of university in Tehran. She did not get a place in hostel, therefore she seek for a room to rent. She found a room near the uni with another woman name Sahar. While waiting her turn to get a khabgah (hostel), she lives there. Sahar is a social girl. She likes to hang out with friends (boys and girls) until late night at her house (it's a big contradic with Iranian lifestyle which the authorities donot allow mix gathering in a house). It makes Nazanin uncomfortable as she has to study. But, sitting in a room while there are mehmoon (guests) is bad in Iranian culture. Nazanin and Sahar fight one time because of this. However they apologize each other thereafter. 

One night, Sahar was not well, she bleeds. Nazanin thought Sahar has illness that related to feminine. The day before she was caught by police because of money. She lend money from someone and did not pay. The money used to get visa and passport to go kharej (oversea). Nazanin worry that Sahar's sickness will become worst if she's detained in the jail. She tried to do everything to pay the talabkar (person that give debt). She found no solution and the only way is to ask the talabkar to detain her if later Sahar does not pay him.

When Sahar came out from jail, they went to the agency who is handling the visa to get back the money to give to the talabkar. Coincidently, the visa and passport were ready. Sahar changed her mind. Without Nazanin acknowledgement, she take the visa and farar (run) from home. Nazanin couldn't find Sahar and now afraid that the talabkar want to catch her. The nightmare happened but before she's being catch, the talabkar's son which is actually one of Sahar's friend come to Nazanin to free her from his father. After that, I didnot really understand why, the talabkar son suicide in car accident. Nazanin is free from being detained.

Well actually, I don't really understand what happened, why Sahar bleeds and why the talabkar son suicide. I hope somebody will tell me about this later. 

Here is the film

Taa daafe baad....mogharebe khodetun bashid!!

Pol-e-Choobi

I watched this iranian movie title pol-e-choobi (wood bridge) before sleep last 3 nights. It was a great movie. It started with nowruz celebration in shomal. The place was so beautiful (well i love shomal much). It's about a young couple whom are fighting with life in iran and planning to migrate to america but are constraint with the husband's job. With help of wife's uncle, the wife went to dubai for visa process. Conflict arise when husband suspicious about wife in dubai. His ex gf also just came back from oversea and they met which make the situation worst. He think of re establish their relationship that once they had with thought that wife is cheating him in dubai. He started to ignore wife's calls which later make wife suspicious of him. She return to iran to take her husband to america as the visa are ready but end up fighting about both suspicions. Wife went out from their house. Later the husband realized that he made mistakes and in the end they meet again at shomal...(this is my understanding from my broken farsi as theres no subtitles, maybe it's not exactly the story but i am sure it don't differ too much). 

I did cry at some parts of the movie. They are both lovely couple but because of wild suspicions, their marriage in trouble. I think this is the bad side of long distance relationship which really require trust and patience. Do not betray each other. It sounds simple but for those who've experience it, it's really hard. There are two scenes which really touched me. One when the husband give advise to his sister's bf about marrying her sister and another one at the end of the film, the husband's monologue on his way to shomal. Below are the dialogue. (Mind that 's not exacly the dialogue as my broken farsi only can catch these. For any iranian that is reading this post, please give comment and correct me. I really appreciate it). 

(1)  1:31 "Roozi ke fekr kardi ye chizi az tahe del dustari hichvaght velesh nakon. momkene dobare tekrar nashe adamha ke too senne salete fekr mikone bazam pisht miyad. bad 10 15 sal begzare ke befahme ke hamun 1 bar boode ke halet dg khub nemishe. eshgh yani halet khub bashe" 

My translation: 
"On the day that you think you like something, never leave it. Maybe it won't happen again. People in your age think that again it will happen. After 10. 15 years they will understand only that 1 time it happened, thus your life won't be good again. Love is that your life is good"

(2) 1:38 Hamishe bayad jelo beri too jadde yek taraf hatta age bekhay ham ejazeh bargasht nadari. Amma hanuz ham mishod baraye ona ke darmiyad az taskire poshte kooh  o tunel o piche too ghesseh goft. Baraye ma tahrid o tars negaheshun kardan negaranesh bood. Vaghti pishe hamin ghadre baham boodano nemiduni. Vaghte doorim mishe fahmid unike rafte cheghard az vojoodeto kande ba khodesh borde. Chegard pishe un khodet baham gozoshte. 

My translation: 
"Always go further on a one way highway even if you want  you don't have permission to come back. However............(i don't really get it)..........When we're together, we don't know the value of our togetherness. When far we understood that the person who has left took away some part of your existence. .......( i don't really get it)" 

So guys, who love to watch romantic movie, please watch this movie and share your opinion with me. I copy the link below.

http://forum.iranproud.com/download-movie-iranian-movies-pole-choobi-c8-f9170

or

Taa daafe baad...ba kassi ke doosesh dari syak nakon...chon momkene az syak ke dari zendegito kharab mikoni...khoda hafez!!

Man Madar Hastam - I am a Mother

I cried like a baby. A must watch movie.

Sneak peak from Youtube

For full movie. No subtitles. Iran Proud 

http://forum.iranproud.com/download-movie-iranian-movies-man-madar-hastam-c8-f8987

Update 16/10/2013
The uploaded full movie at Youtube

Mosaferi Az Hend - Review

Finally I've finished watching Mosaferi Az Hend Serial. I really love this drama even though the quality of videos uploaded by IranSerial is not very good. All in all I enjoyed the story. However, for me I think the title did not match the story much. Passenger from India. The story is more about what happened in Mansour's family rather than Sita's journey in Iran. Let me describe my point of view of each actor/actress.

Sita
Early in the story, I felt really close to Sita. She's not Persian but speak farsi with Hindi's accent just like me speak farsi with Malay accent, the only difference is that she can pronounce 'gh' but I can't. :) But of course her vocabulary is much more than me (well she is Iranian in reality). Knowing that she is a real Iranian, I'm amazed to her ability to speak Hindi. Well pronounced. Other than that, in 1 episode she cooked Indian foods to Daei Jalal's family and it was too spicy to them, just like I cooked Malay foods which is spicy. When Sita visited Emam Reza with Parvaneh, she was so amazed with the place which bring her again there and become a Muslim. It reflects me that I really want to go to Emam Reza Haram in Mashhad after I saw it in some films and documentary. Insyallah I'll go there one day. Sita is one true lover to Ramin, she followed Ramin to Iran with big hopes and dreams. If I'm in Sita's place, I'll do the same. Do anything for the sake of love. All in all, I love Sita, beautiful, soft spoken and she wears nice dresses.

Ramin
Oh..I don't like him. Didn't match Sita at all. Tarsooi (coward). I hate when he cry/angry/lovely. All in all I don't like his role in this film.

Farzad
Man..I like him a lot. Handsome. He has the "protect family" traits. When Arash make Farzad's step sister (I forget her name) cry, he got really angry and scolded Arash at his office. Another scene is when Simin want to run from Iran, he didnt want to go along because he said he has responsibility to help Ramin. Even though he is just a step brother to Ramin's family, he shows that he also has the responsibility to the family.

Parvaneh
Bichareh...Ramin cut their engagement because he found Sita (damn you Ramin). But Parvaneh is one good woman. Soft, polite. I like her. I just don't get it when she rejected Farzad (just because I like Farzad) :) Even though her heart was broken, she still act cool and treat Sita behavely. They became friends and forget her hurts. I love her chadori style. If I've given a chance, I want to wear chador as well maybe only for 1 time.

Daei Jalal
Man of responsible. Even though he is just the brother of Ramin's mom (forget her name), he is willing to help the family solve any problem. The way he talks,wears remind me of one Iranian man that I know.

Simin
I love her voice, rocks! She plays antagonist role but I didn't hate her in this serial. Plus, I love the way she wears mantou. Even inside house she grooms well.

Ramin's sister, mother, Arash, Mansour and others they don't give much impact to me. They're all good in acting which make this drama nice. I just hope that in the end Ramin meet Sita again, but it didn't happen. In the last episode Sita is reciting farsi poems in India. That more or less impact my desire to learn Persian poem and really I'm learning it now little by little.

So, that is my short review of this serial. I enjoyed it just like I enjoyed watching Khaneh va Doost previously. I'm now looking for a new serial to fill in my lonely time before sleep. Any recommendation guys?

Mosaferi Az Malezi

Taa daafe baad....be omide didar..khoda hafez

Iranian Film in Malaysia - Filme Irani dar Malezi

I was watching a cooking show at TV al hijrah. The chef is an arab but he speak malay language, i was giggling throughout the show because he used some words in a funny way. Then I was thinking to iranian that they might as well giggling to the ways i speak farsi :p .

During the advertisement, I saw that they will be showing iranian movie tonight right after the cooking show. So i stick in front of the tv and watch the movie. I think it was a bit old movie. The title is tick tack, about 2 boys with a watch. The movie ended after one hour when supposedly it is a 2 hour movie. I dont know why, but all in all it was a good movie, as usual. The best thing for me is that I can understand the movie even if i close my eyes without looking at the subtitle. Some part they did not translated it completely. For example, at one part the teacher said, "bache, sahket bash, boro sarejat beshin" but the subtitle only wrote "go and sit" when supposedly they write "kids, silent please, please go to your place and sit". Well well..hehe

If I am an iranian, i will be very proud to see my country's film played in other country. Before this also i ever watched maybe 4-5 times iranian films/dramas in Malaysia's TV. 2 of them are serial drama. Even film "Joddaye Nader az Simin" (The Separation) was shown for astro box office channel.

Ok. Enough for entertainment. Tomorrow is Monday, so be prepared folks!! Monday blues is coming :)

Bye