Gabbeh

Not what I think of when I imagine an Iranian film. The setting is still predominantly rural, but Gabbeh is colorful and contains some outspoken fantastical elements. The styling is a little kitsch and the soundtrack doesn't match the visuals all that well, but it still turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

When an old couple goes down to a nearby stream to wash their carpet, a young woman appears out of nowhere. She tells her story to the old couple. The young woman was madly in love, but her father didn't want her to marry. Whenever a suitor appeared, he always came with a reason to deny her love.

The story isn't that interesting, the performances aren't great, and the rural setting wasn't entirely my thing, but I did appreciate the colorful costumes and the beautiful nature shots. It also helps that the film is short and doesn't overstay its welcome. I'm not a huge fan, but still much better than most of the Iranian films I've seen so far.