The Patience Stone (film)

The Patience Stone (Persian: سنگ صبور‎) is a 2012 French-Afghan war drama film directed by Atiq Rahimi, based on his 2008 novel of the same title. Written by Jean-Claude Carrière and the director, the film stars Golshifteh Farahani, Hamid Djavadan, Massi Mrowat, and Hassina Burgan.

The Patience Stone
Directed byAtiq Rahimi
Produced byMichael Gentile
Written byAtiq Rahimi
Jean-Claude Carrière
StarringGolshifteh Farahani
Hamid Djavadan
Massi Mrowat
Hassina Burgan
Music byMax Richter
CinematographyThierry Arbogast
Edited byHervé de Luze
Release date
CountryAfghanistan, France
LanguageDari

The film was selected as the Afghan entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar at the 85th Academy Awards, although it was not nominated.[1] Golshifteh Farahani was nominated for the Most Promising Actress award at the 39th César Awards.[2] The film is set in Afghanistan and filmed in-country and in areas of Morocco that resembled Soviet-era housing in Kabul. It was produced with participation from the French Ministry of Culture (Ministère de la Culture), Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée, and multiple independent film production companies. The U.S. release was distributed by Sony Picture Classics.


Plot

Somewhere, in Afghanistan or elsewhere, in a country torn apart by a war... A young woman in her thirties watches over her older husband in a decrepit room. He is reduced to a vegetative state because of a bullet in the neck. Not only is he abandoned by his companions in Jihad (one of whom has shot him during an argument), but also by his brothers.

One day, the woman decides to tell the truth to her silent husband, explaining to him her feelings about their relationship. She talks about her childhood, her suffering, her frustrations, her loneliness, her dreams, her desires. She says things she could never have done before, even though they have been married for the past 10 years. Therefore, this paralyzed man unconsciously becomes sang-e sabour, a magic stone which, according to Persian mythology, when placed in front of a person shields her from unhappiness, suffering, pains and miseries.

In her wait for her husband to come back to life, the woman struggles to survive and live. She finds refuge in her aunt's place, who is a prostitute, and the only relative who understands her. The woman seeks to free herself from suffering through the words she delivers audaciously to her husband. But after weeks looking after him, she will actually reveal herself in the relationship she starts with a young soldier.

Cast
  • Golshifteh Farahani as The woman
  • Hamid Djavadan as The man (as Hamidreza Javdan)
  • Hassina Burgan as The aunt
  • Massi Mrowat as The young soldier
  • Mohamed Al Maghraoui as The mullah (as Mohamed Maghraoui)
  • Malak Djaham Khazal as The neighbor
  • Marwa Safa Frotan as the childhood of Golshifteh
  • Sofia Frotan as sister of Golshifteh
  • Yesna Frotan as the smaller sister of Golshifteh

Critical reception

The Patience Stone has a 'fresh' rating of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes.[3]

See also

References
  1. "Oscars: The Patience Stone chosen to be the Afghan entry!". Le Pacte. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  2. "Berenice Bejo, Lea Seydoux, Roman Polanski Among France's Cesar Awards Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
  3. "The Patience Stone (2013)". Rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 9 February 2019.


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