Gabbeh

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Gabbeh ★★★½ 1996

Gabbeh is not only the name of the film's heroine (Djobat), it is also the name of the finely embroidered woolen rugs that the nomadic Ghashgai tribe is known for. Gabbeh has a simple desire—she wishes to marry a mysterious horseman but her father keeps placing obstacles in her path. She tells her story to an old married couple, who are washing their own gabbeh in a stream. The film is visually lush but a challenge for Western sensibilities with its slow pace and allegorical content. Farsi with subtitles. 75m/C VHS, DVD . IA Shaghayeh Djodat, Hossein Moharami, Rogheih Moharami, Abbas Sayah; D: Mohsen Makhmalbaf; W: Mohsen Makhmalbaf; C: Mahmoud Kalari; M: Hossein Alizadeh.