Mohsen Makhmalbaf Focus: Daddy's School + Intro

"I have lived in the Middle East - a place in the world where the suffering from poverty, illiteracy, patriarchy, religious extremism, fundamentalism and terrorism endangers peoples’ lives on a daily basis. My family and I have tried to shine a light on these problems with each film that we make - not only to show the reality and the problems but rather to have an effect and change the situation." Mohsen Makhmalbaf

This screening is introduced by director Hassan Solhjoo.

Dissatisfied with what the Islamic Revolution brought for Iranian people, Makhmalbaf—who had already taught himself filmmaking through trial and error—expressed his views through this medium. Within a few years, he had become one of the pioneering Iranian filmmakers post-revolution. While his films were very well received around the world, he was still criticised and put under pressure from the officials in Iran. Similarly, his daughter Samira, who was unhappy with Islamic schools, started an in-house riot and decided to leave school to also seek her dreams in the world of cinema.

This documentary tells how Makhmalbaf, a former political prisoner in a religious, closed Iran, turned his house into an open film school and paved the way for his family—Marziyeh, Samira, Maysam and Hana—to become successful filmmakers.

Daddy's School, dir. Hassan Solhjoo, UK 2014, 59 mins