Hamoun

In many ways Mr.Dariush Mehrjui can be called one of the most mature directors of Iranian cinema.The maturity element in his films comes from his profound knowledge of philosophy.It is his familiarity with philosophical themes which enabled him to gain international recognition much ahead of other Iranian directors of international repute namely Abbas Kiarostami and Mohsen Makhmalbaf.One of his earlier films Gaav (The Cow) was voted one of the best Iranian films.In later years,it was dethroned to make room for Hamoun in 1990. It was also crowned the best Iranian film of all times.Hamoun is a challenging portrayal of difficult lives led by an Iranian intellectual couple who is unable to live in harmony.The film starts with some brilliantly shot dream like sequences which are repeated at regular intervals.What happens when a dream is over and one is forced to live a difficult life ? It is the answer to this question which awaits patient viewers in Hamoun which boasts of a meaningful, well nuanced acting performance by late Iranian actor Khosro Shakibai (1944-2008)