Blackboards (2000): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2000, Blackboards is a drama, war and history film directed by Samira Makhmalbaf, running about 85 minutes.

What it’s about. Itinerant Kurdish teachers, carrying blackboards on their backs, look for students in the hills and villages of Iran, near the Iraqi border during the Iran-Iraq war. Said falls in with a group of old men looking for their bombed-out village; he offers to guide them, and takes as his wife Halaleh, the clan's lone woman, a widow with a young son. Reeboir attaches himself to a dozen pre-teen boys weighed down by contraband they carry across the border; they're mules, always on the move. Said and Reeboir try to teach as their potential students keep walking. Danger is close; armed soldiers patrol the skies, the roads, and the border. Is there a role for a teacher? Is there hope?

Who’s in it. Blackboards stars Said Mohamadi as Said, Behnaz Jafari as Halaleh, Bahman Ghobadi as Reeboir and Mohamad Karim Rahmati as Father, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.6/10, Blackboards has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Blackboards page.

If you liked it. Fans of Blackboards tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.