Gabbeh

"Life is Colour. Love is Colour."

1996 1h 12m FA

👍

6.7

SOLID

★6.7TMDB · 62

DramaMysteryRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

An elderly couple go about their routine of cleaning their gabbeh, while bickering gently with each other. Magically, a young woman appears, helping the two clean the rug. This young woman belongs to the clan whose history is depicted in the design of the gabbeh, and the rug recounts the story of the courtship of the young woman by a stranger from the clan.

“Life is Colour. Love is Colour.”

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Cast

Shaghayeh Djodat
Gabbeh
Abbas Sayah
Uncle
Hossein Moharami
Old Man
Rogheih Moharami
Old Woman
Parvaneh Ghalandari

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Writers: Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Languages: Persian
Countries: Iran, France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 72-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

30 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Iran, France.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf, shot by Mahmoud Kalari. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Hossein Alizadeh. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Mohsen Makhmalbaf shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Shaghayeh Djodat and Abbas Sayah and Hossein Moharami carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Mohsen Makhmalbaf directs. Mahmoud Kalari behind the camera. Hossein Alizadeh scores. Mohsen Makhmalbaf cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Iran, France. Dialogue in Persian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 72-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
230 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3International production across 2 countries: Iran, France.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf, shot by Mahmoud Kalari. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Hossein Alizadeh. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Mohsen Makhmalbaf shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Shaghayeh Djodat and Abbas Sayah and Hossein Moharami carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "Life is Colour. Love is Colour.".
10IMDB entry: tt0116384 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Only 62 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.