Two-Legged Horse

Samira Makhmalbaf is more than just ‘the daughter of’. The screenwriter and director is regarded as the figurehead of the Iranian New Wave. She made her debut at the age of just 17 with THE APPLE, which premiered at Cannes, where she later won the Jury Prize twice. Just like her father’s work, her films explore a hybrid form that straddles the line between fiction and documentary.

Her latest film to date, TWO-LEGGED HORSE, tells the story of an Afghan child with one leg who hires another disabled child to carry him on his back. Makhmalbaf once again draws on non-professional actors in her quest to capture a raw reality. The film shows how two people go to extremes in friendship and love, but also explores the limits of human tolerance.

TWO-LEGGED HORSE, which won the award for Best Soundtrack at Film Fest Gent, was written and edited by her father, Mohsen. He cites life under the suffocating Iranian dictatorship as the greatest source of inspiration for this film. That was also what motivated Samira: “There is an awful lot of suffering in the world. I believe that suffering is down to humanity’s mindset. We are what we think. Film can change minds. That is why I make films.”