KISH TALES



Iran, 1999, 72 min, color

The film consists of three parts: "The Greek Boat", "The Ring" and "The Door"

The film was made with finances from investors on the Island of Kish in the Persian Gulf, which is a free zone belonging to Iran. All episodes take place on the abandoned island, which had profited from the passing ships between Asia and Europe in the past. In "The Greek Boat," the wife of a shopkeeper is psychologically affected by the cardboard boxes washed up by the sea that her husband uses to repair their hut. The international brand names that appear on the packaging bring out her fear of foreigners. An exorcist advises him to choose between the cardboard and his wife. In "The Ring," a young Kurdish man from the country whose family cannot afford to pay for his studies arrives illegally on the island to find a job. He leads a lonely life, saving his earnings to buy a ring for his sister's fiancе. Makhmalbaf is responsible for the third episode, called "The Door," about a man left with only the door of his house after having sold everything else. He roams the barren island with his black-veiled daughter and a baby goat, while the postman chases after him to give him his mail.