Tooba

2002 0h 12m EN

👍

7.0

SOLID

★7.0TMDB · 1

Synopsis

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Her poetic two-channel video installation Tooba is based on the Koran, in which Tooba, the sacred tree of paradise, offers shelter and sustenance to those in need. Neshat's video places a woman within a groove in the trunk of a large fig tree, symbolising its soul. They stand, alone, in a stone-walled garden set in a mountainous landscape. Men and women draw near and enter the enclosure, seeking refuge, as the Tooba-woman disappears into the Tooba-tree. The piece is ambiguous. Who has agency? Is it the crowd, who 'invade' the garden or the tree-woman who draws them towards her like a magnet? Tooba is dedicated to Iranian writer Shahrnush Parsipour, whose novel Women without Men concerns five women sojourning in a garden, one of whom is transformed into a tree.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Shirin Neshat

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

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Fun facts 🍿

1 / 6

RUNTIME

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Tight 12-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 6

ERA

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Released 24 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 6

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Shirin Neshat, shot by Darius Khondji. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 6

WILD

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IMDB entry: tt0344481 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 6

WILD

Did you know

Only 1 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Shirin Neshat directs. Darius Khondji behind the camera. Runs lean at under 100 minutes.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 12-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
2Released 24 years ago.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Shirin Neshat, shot by Darius Khondji. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5IMDB entry: tt0344481 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
6Only 1 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.