Itinerant Kurdish teachers, carrying blackboards on their backs, look for students in the hills and villages of Iran, near the Iraqi border during the Iran-Iraq war. Said falls in with a group of old men looking for their bombed-out village; he offers to guide them, and takes as his wife Halaleh, the clan's lone woman, a widow with a young son. Reeboir attaches himself to a dozen pre-teen boys weighed down by contraband they carry across the border; they're mules, always on the move. Said and Reeboir try to teach as their potential students keep walking. Danger is close; armed soldiers patrol the skies, the roads, and the border. Is there a role for a teacher? Is there hope?
In the aftermath of the Iran-Iraq war, a group of nomadic Kurds journeys through the mountains, carrying blackboards on their backs. They seek students to teach, offering education to children whose lives have been shattered by conflict. The film portrays their relentless pursuit of knowledge amidst hardship, highlighting the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring power of education.
Blackboards was met with critical acclaim, praised for its poetic visuals, powerful message, and unique storytelling approach. Critics lauded Mohsen Makhmalbaf's minimalist style and the film's profound exploration of themes like displacement, education, and hope in the face of devastation.
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Won the Special Jury Prize (Golden Leopard) at the Locarno International Film Festival in 2000. Also screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2001.
The film was shot on location in the Zagros Mountains of Iran, with the actors themselves carrying the actual blackboards during filming.
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