Iranian Movie Night: Ten (2002)

Ten_DVDSunday December 6th 2015, Iranian Movie Night: Ten by Abbas Kiarostami (2002, 89 minutes). In Persian with English subtitles. Door opens at 8pm, film begin at 9pm. Free admission.

Ten (10) is a 2002 Iranian film directed by Abbas Kiarostami and starring Mania Akbari. The film was nominated for the Palme d’Or at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival. Ten is divided into ten scenes, each of which depict a conversation between an unchanging female driver (played by Mania Akbari) and a variety of passengers as she drives around Tehran. Her passengers include her young son (played by Akbari’s real life son, Amin Maher), her sister, a bride, a prostitute, and a woman on her way to prayer. One of the major plots during the film is the driver’s divorce from her (barely seen) husband, and the conflict that this causes between mother and son.

Many of the cast were untrained as actors, and the film has an improvisatory element. Elements of the characters were based on the actual life of the main actress and her son. The film was recorded on two digital cameras, one attached to each side of a moving car, showing the driver and passenger respectively.The film explores personal social problems arising in Iranian society, particularly the problems of women.

Film night at Joe’s Garage, cozy cinema! Doors open at 8pm, film begins at 9pm, free entrance. You want to play a movie, let us know: joe [at] squat [dot] net