Watching "10" with the new Scotts

I could not imagine I would be so quiet for such a long time. Anyway, I start again and have intended not to say the reason because I felt embarrassed, but why not! Thanks to my husband who encourages me all the time and especially for opening this weblog and thanks to Naser who encouraged me to carry on.

On Thursday, 19th of November 2009, I have shown the movie “10” by Abbas Kiarostami at the International Cinema Club.
Generally, the aim of this programme is to give ourselves a chance to know each other more and broaden our knowledge about the different communities around us or as X. said “the new Scotts” who are living in Edinburgh.
X. gave me the opportunity to choose an Iranian movie for the new season opening day. Then I thought as an Iranian woman maybe “10” would reflect this aim.

Before showing the film I was having this thought that “10” is a wonderful movie and everybody will know about Iranian women and their situation in Iran. As soon as the movie started I thought “oh, I was wrong, this is not appropriate, how they understand these dialogues with just subtitles, too much dialogues”; literally for a while I doubted Kiarostami’s power. When the movie has finished and we started the regular discussion, I found that why Kiarostami is “Kiarostami”. People liked the movie and thought the subject of it is not Iranian but universal. Everybody everywhere has the concerns that 10’s characters have. It could be feminine issue and at the wider scope it is more humanistic. The discussion went very well and afterwards I felt much more comfort and indeed proud of having such a great director in my country.

Isn’t it pleasant people know your country because of a cultural product such as movies and not just entertainment movies, movies with great themes and humanistic concerns? It seems a bit self indulgent but I think it is the only thing at this point I could talk with proud from my country.

Watching “10” for the fifth times has still new things for me. The issue of losing and gaining, sense of belongingness and attachment, love, ... are timeless human’s concerns and it seems at different stage of your life they have different shades and colours.