The Apple

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The Apple

1998

1h 25m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

85%

Tomatometer

47 Reviews

83%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

This docudrama tells the story of two adolescent girls (Zahra Naderi, Masume Naderi) in Iran who have been kept imprisoned by their father (Qorban Ali Naderi) in their home from the day they were born. Interacting with a social worker who was notified of the situation, the girls' father voices his conviction that allowing the girls out of the house would lead to their corruption by males and the vices of the outside world. The neglected girls, meanwhile, can barely walk or speak.

Critics Consensus

The Apple flirts with exploitation, but this boldly metaphorical work boasts a tart, complex crunch.

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Desson Thomson

Washington Post

03/31/2021

There is nothing more haunting than the faces of those two girls, two angels who were kept in hell for more than a decade and have emerged, blinking into the light.

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Carrie Rickey

Philadelphia Inquirer

03/31/2021

3/4

The feature debut of 17-year-old Iranian filmmaker Samira Makhmalbaf, The Apple is one part docudrama, one part parable, and the altogether involving story of 12-year-old twin girls.

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John Monaghan

Detroit Free Press

03/31/2021

3/4

[The Apple] hits upon simple, yet all-important human emotions that movies rarely capture.

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Sean P. Means

Salt Lake Tribune

03/31/2021

2.5/4

Documentarylike realism and strong symbolism combine in the Iranian film The Apple, and it's not an easy mix.

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Robert W. Butler

Kansas City Star

03/31/2021

3/4

The Apple would be a good film even without the extraordinary circumstances of its creation. And when you know the "back story," as they say in the movie biz, it becomes one of those truly amazing moments in cinema.

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03/29/2020

Poorly made, really badly edited. True story but woefully told

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03/10/2017

If you read the story you would get angry with the parents. Watching the documentary/movie still leaves you feeling sorry for the girls but also pity NOT anger at the parents. Brilliantly told. Hard to believe the director was only a teenager !

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11/27/2013

gr8 film manages to be both simple & complex no EZ feat.

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07/02/2012

A highly underrated film by Samira Makmalbaf. A strong emotional punch, and a powerful film about Muslim culture.

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06/05/2012

Amazingly mature piece of work for an 18 year old.

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03/09/2012

A very touching piece of art that really gives us the real portrait of the Iranian life with all its good and bad.

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Samira Makhmalbaf

Director

Zahra Naderi

Zahra

Masume Naderi

Massoumeh

Qorban Ali Naderi

Father

Aziz Mohammadi

Azizeh

Zahra Saqari Saz

Actor

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Synopsis

This docudrama tells the story of two adolescent girls (Zahra Naderi, Masume Naderi) in Iran who have been kept imprisoned by their father (Qorban Ali Naderi) in their home from the day they were born. Interacting with a social worker who was notified of the situation, the girls' father voices his conviction that allowing the girls out of the house would lead to their corruption by males and the vices of the outside world. The neglected girls, meanwhile, can barely walk or speak.

Director: Samira Makhmalbaf
Screenwriter: Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Samira Makhmalbaf
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Persian
Release Date (Theaters): May 27, 1998, Original
Box Office (Gross USA): $116.8K
Runtime: 1h 25m
Aspect Ratio: 35mm