Screen Reviews
Poetic Trilogy: The Gardener

Poetic Trilogy: The Gardener

directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf

MVD / Arrow

I was lucky enough to receive one of the three films in Mohsen Makhmalbaf’s Poetic Trilogy. Makhmalbaf is Iranian, and has won multiple awards world-wide, yet is relatively unknown to American audiences. That’s a shame, what I see in this film is a gorgeous and heartwarming films that looks into the heart of Baha’i Faith, a religion that seems to collect enemies without effort. The film is shot in Israel in the sort of blindingly detailed high res, fully saturated color digital process that is only now just getting out to the super hero genera and into the world of art film. Both Makhmalbaf and his son Maysam shoot film; there’s a bit of tension between what dad thinks is important and what his son focuses on cinematically. Both viewpoints have a place and the coupling brings a deeper insight into the film-making process.

We are in a glorious garden somewhere in Israel. Men lovingly tend this plot of land we might call monks, although their relation to the garden is open ended. They gently pull weeds, move stones and revive flowers, and he result is an amazing landscape of color and form, My impression is they do it not for money, but love of their faith, and we are dabbling what those beliefs are. The relation between father and son is gruff but loving, dad realized his boy needs to find his own world, and son recognized dads generous and roots to the past. There are no traces of politics here beyond some simple factual history, and as a documentary, it excels in its artistic vision and cinematography. I’m hoping the other two elements of this trilogy show up in my mail box, or at least some other films form this middle eastern film genius. We may be at odds with Iran, but that shouldn’t blind us to the art they have produced for centuries.

https://mvdb2b.com/b2b/s/AA033


Recently on Ink 19...

Refused

Refused

Music Reviews

The Shape of Punk to Come: A Chimerical Bombination in 12 Bursts (Epitaph). Review by Steven Cruse.

999

999

Music Reviews

Emergency at the Old Waldorf 1979 (Liberation Hall). Review by Peter Lindblad.

Bob Mould

Bob Mould

Event Reviews

Bob Mould finishes his 2024 Fall Solo Tour, bringing legendary energy to Atlanta.

Featured photo by Charles DJ Deppner.

AFI Fest 2024

AFI Fest 2024

Event Reviews

For the tenth straight year, Lily and Generoso proudly present their coverage of AFI Fest, Los Angeles’s premiere film festival which took place in Hollywood this October.

Featured photo courtesy of AFI Fest.

C.L. Turner of Arctic Wave

C.L. Turner of Arctic Wave

Interviews

Ink 19’s Randy Radic spoke with C.L. Turner of the band Arctic Wave to discuss the latest single, inspirations, and next directions.

Featured image courtesy of Present PR