Blackboards
تخته سياه
Synopsis
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?
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Trailer for "Blackboards"
Type: Trailer • Published 2008-11-12
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Release History & Theatrical Window
Cannes Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
December 6, 2002
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Samira Makhmalbaf
- Screenplay & Story
- Samira Makhmalbaf, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Zaheer Qureshi
- Original Score
- Mohammad Reza Darvishi
- Original Title
- تخته سياه
- Country of Origin
- Iran, Italy, Japan
- Spoken Languages
- Kurdish, Persian
- Runtime
- 1h 25m
- Production Studios
- Fabrica, Makhmalbaf Film House Productions, RAI Cinema, T-Mark
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Samira Makhmalbaf
Samira Makhmalbaf, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Zaheer Qureshi
Mohammad Reza Darvishi
Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Mohamad Ahmadi, Shôzô Ichiyama, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Marco Mueller
Department Leadership Roster
Samira Makhmalbaf
Director
Samira Makhmalbaf
Writer
Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Writer
Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Editor
Shôzô Ichiyama
Producer
Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Producer
Marco Mueller
Producer
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Blackboards.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Blackboards.
Asian Cinema
Auto-generated by festival-lists — do not edit by hand.
list0
iran
Cult Classics
Every film on Wikipedia's List of cult films.
Festival de Cannes - Jury Prize Winners 1946-2025
Festival de Cannes winners archive (Jury Prize Winners 1946-2025)
ESSENTIAL FILMS BY WOMEN
Imported from MUBI list: https://mubi.com/en/lists/essential-films-by-women
Similar Titles to Blackboards
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
6.7
6.2
5.3
8.1
7.4
7.6
7.5
7.2
7.7
7.4
7.9
7.2
7.0
7.9
More Like Blackboards
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.
Frequently Asked Questions About Blackboards
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Blackboards about?
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?
Who directed Blackboards?
Blackboards was directed by Samira Makhmalbaf.
Who stars in Blackboards?
The principal cast of Blackboards includes Said Mohamadi, Behnaz Jafari, Bahman Ghobadi, Mohamad Karim Rahmati, Rafat Moradi.
When was Blackboards released and how long is it?
Blackboards was released in 2000 with a total runtime of 1h 25m.
Who composed the musical score for Blackboards?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Blackboards was composed by Mohammad Reza Darvishi.