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Movie Info & Details
Release Year1986
Runtime1h 48m
LanguagePersian
CertificationNR
Genres—
Votes5
DirectorAli Zhekan
WritersAli Zhekan
TypeFeature Film
Rating6.0 out of 10
Cast9 credited
Also Known AsThe Mare
About The Mare
Noted Iranian actress Susan Taslimi plays an impoverished single mother who agees to marry off her 13-year-old daughter to a middle-aged man in return for a mare, which will help her earn an income and provide for her younger children. Director Ali Zhekan paints a stark picture of poverty and patriarchy in rural Iran (the mother stores her rice in a container hidden in a tree; her brother, who brokered the wedding, mercilessly beats the recalcitrant child), but this 1986 film is distinguished mostly by Taslimi's increasingly fiery performance as the mother decides to defend her daughter's freedom.
Directed by Ali Zhekan, The Mare leans on a strong ensemble — Susan Taslimi, Hossein Mahjoub, Firouz Behjat-Mohamadi — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 1986.
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