A profoundly lyrical and empathetic documentary short set in a leper colony near Tabriz. Through intimate and unflinching images of individuals afflicted by leprosy—scars, hands, and daily life—the film is interwoven with voice-over narration blending Farrokhzad’s own poetry, verses from the Old Testament and the Qur’an, and factual commentary. It creates a humanizing, spiritually resonant portrait of marginalized lives, oscillating between suffering and fragile joy.
Forugh Farrokhzad (1935–1967) was one of Iran’s most influential modernist poets and a pioneering feminist voice in Persian literature and cinema. The House Is Black is her sole directorial work, yet it stands as a landmark in Iranian cinema. She began her film career working as an editor for filmmaker Ebrahim Golestan, who also produced her film. After filming, she adopted Hossein Mansouri, a boy from the colony, reflecting her deep personal engagement with the subject. Farrokhzad died prematurely in a car accident at age 32, but her artistic legacy endures, both for her poetry and her fearlessly empathetic vision.
