Moj o marjan o khara

WAVE, CORAL AND ROCK chronicles the laying of oil pipelines in the south of Iran. Even though the directorial credit went to Alan Pendry – a former assistant to Bert Haanstra – he was, in fact, called in at the last minute when Golestan was hospitalised following a terrible car crash, forcing him to send the crew his instructions from his hospital bed. It is ultimately Golestan’s editing and commentary that elevate the story, and give the film its poetic style. Though the film looks at its subject from above and below, for the most part it stays close to the soil. It touches on other themes too, such as the “patient process of nature” and the “toil and intellect of man”, before ending with a highly political statement about the people of Iran, who have no share of the oil wealth.
WAVE, ROCK AND CORAL was followed by the even more controversial THE CROWN JEWELS OF IRAN. Ostensibly a showcase for the collection of precious jewels kept in the treasury of the Central Bank of Iran, it is in fact a bold attack on the treachery of the Persian kings. This, Golestan’s most visually dazzling documentary, is like a work of musical composition; as seen in the simple act of ploughing, which is spread across shots of various sizes and angles, creating an intimate visual symphony.

In the presence of Ehsan Khoshbakht (Curator).
This film will be shown as part of the screening SESSION #2: JEWELS OF EARTH, PART I.

We'd like to thank Cineteca di Bologna for making this program possible.