Homework (Persian: مشق شب, romanizedMašq-e šab) is a 1989 Iranian narrative documentary film written, directed and edited by Abbas Kiarostami.

Homework
مشق شب
Directed byAbbas Kiarostami
Written byAbbas Kiarostami
Produced byAli Reza Zarrin
StarringPupils at Shahid Masumi School
Two pupils' fathers
Abbas Kiarostami
Iraj Safavi
CinematographyFarhad Saba
Iraj Safavi
Ali Asghar Mirzai
Edited byAbbas Kiarostami
Music byMohammad Reza Aligholi
Production
company
Release date
  • 1989 (1989) (Iran)
Running time
86 minutes
CountryIran
LanguagePersian

The film was shot on 16mm in late January and/or early February 1988 at Tehran's Shahid Masumi primary school.[1]

Synopsis

edit

The film consists almost exclusively of interviews with a number of pupils and two fathers of pupils at Shahid Masumi school who are asked to give their opinion on the traditional teaching practice of assigning homework. Issues such as some parents' illiteracy and their inability to help their children with the homework are raised. The children don't always succeed in hiding the more embarrassing aspects of their family life (corporal punishment, poverty, etc.).

Release

edit

Homework was included as a special feature in the Criterion Collection's release of the Koker trilogy.[2]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ The English subtitles mistranslate Bahman 1366 as February 1987.
  2. ^ Partridge, Jon (2019-09-06). "Criterion Review: Abbas Kiarostami's THE KOKER TRILOGY". Medium. Archived from the original on 2022-01-01. Retrieved 2022-01-01.

Bibliography

edit
  • Deborah Young, "Mashgh-e shab (Homework)", Variety, no. 338, 7 March 1990, p. 32
  • Peter Matthews, "A Little Learning", Sight & Sound, vol. 12, no. 6, June 2002, pp. 30–32
  • Sonia Giardina, "Another Look at Homework by Abbas Kiarostami: An Investigation of a Pedagogic and Social Drama", Film International, no. 35, Summer 2002, p. 33
  • François Niney, "Devoirs de maison", Cahiers du cinéma, no. 449, November 1991, pp. 62–63
  • Danièle Parra, "Devoirs du soir", La Revue du cinéma, no. 477, December 1991, p. 41
  • François Niney, "Devoirs de soir", Cahiers du cinéma, no. 493, July/August 1995, pp. 107–108
  • Israel Diego Aragón, "Un documental de terror psicológico: Los deberes", in Letras de cine, no. 7, 2003, pp. 76–77
edit