Majidi Films

Perspectives, Perceptions and Cinema

The poet William Blake once intoned, "If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite" (Freeman 85). When it comes to human perception, there is no denying that our hardwiring (neurons, sensory organs, brain chemistry, etc.) and our personality (type, maturity level, cognitive ability, etc.) play a role in shaping perceptions. However, most individual argue that the social construction of reality and identity for groups plays an even larger role in shaping human perception. As one sociologist maintains, "Shaping perceptions is the key to social power. It is our social environment that largely determines what we perceive (and what we ignore) and which channels the ways in which we cognitively process that information" (Social 1-2)

Majid Majidi is a filmmaker whose films like The Color of Paradise, Children of Heaven, and Baran, attempt to illustrate how social constructions of identity impact perception of others and the world around us. An Iranian who is used to the distinctions made between the more than 1.4 million Afghani refugees living in Iran and Iranians, Majidi uses a variety of techniques in such films to help convey how perception is learned with respect to our perceptions of others. From utilizing cross-dressing and gender, using a blind boy to see, and showing how love crosses such learned constructions of perception, Majidi is able

he wants to be, even to other Iranian coworkers. One coworker who he shares animosity with is named Faraj, who he battles with repeatedly. On one occasion he spills white powdered cement all over Faraj and labels him, "the abominable snowman" (Majidi 2001). All goes as usual with Memar being semi-benevolent but greedy and harsh on the workers. One day Najaf injures himself and his son Rahmat is sent to take his place because he has five children who depend on him to survive. When Rahmat arrives at work he is taciturn and tries to lift the heavy bags of cement. However, he is clumsy and delicate and Memar takes pity on him and lets him take over Latif's cushy position. Latif is immediately outraged that he has lost his cushy position, to a clumsy Afghan no less! He trashes the kitchen and does everything in his power to sabotage the young man. He even throws water on him at one point. Latif is made no less angry by the fact that Rahmat makes wonderful tea and sets up nice dinners for the workers, who point out how much better Rahmat is at his job than was Latif. Things come to a head when one day Latif has a vision and that vision is of Rahmat behind a curtain. Rahmat is, in actuality, a beautiful girl who Latif watches

Category: Film - M