The Apple
1998·Drama·1h 22m
7.1
★
After twelve years of imprisonment by their own parents, two Iranian sisters are finally released by social workers to face the outside world for the first time.
Directed by Samira Makhmalbaf
social worker
apple
blindness
neglected child
woman director
IMDB
N/A
Crew
Samira Makhmalbaf
Director
Samira Makhmalbaf
Writer
Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Writer
Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Editor
Marin Karmitz
Producer
Véronique Cayla
Producer
Hana Makhmalbaf
Assistant Director
Marziyeh Meshkiny
Assistant Director
Popular Reviews
18 reviews
Beisa Šabić
*“The problem is that they’re girls.
If they’d been boys, they’d go out with you. They’d play outside. And they’d even climb walls.”*
If they’d been boys, they’d go out with you. They’d play outside. And they’d even climb walls.”*
*“The problem is that they’re girls.
If they’d been boys, they’d go out with you. They’d play outside. And they’d even climb walls.”*
If they’d been boys, they’d go out with you. They’d play outside. And they’d even climb walls.”*
Kay DeePRO
6.0★ · 03/16/26
I am so behind on March Around the World, but I will try to persevere!
I don’t quite understand why this film was made and I don’t mean that in a derogatory sense! Director Samira Makhmalbaf is the daughter of another Iranian filmmaker and she was 18 at the time of filming. She read about two young girls who were basically trapped inside their house by their parents for their entire lives and were recently taken by the Iranian equivalent of Child Protective Services. Where I would have been like “oh that’s terrible, I hope they all find healing” after reading the article, Makhmalbaf instead went to this family and said “hey wanna make a movie about your lives together?” Wild choice!
It’s not quite a documentary because the storyline was thought out before hand, but everyone (including the two girls who had no contact with people on the outside! And the social worker!) plays themselves. So the acting/dialogue isn’t great, but it is watchable and interesting to see. I can’t quite tell how exploitative this movie is though . . .? It’s not that it’s poorly done, but it does feel ethically messy. Especially in the wake of people like Gypsy Rose Blanchard, I don’t think i would have chosen this path! On the plus side though, the interactions between children that drive the plot are really tender, and there is definitely some #feminist commentary. I’m glad the girls in real life were freed and got to explore the world!
March Around The World 2026: Iran
I don’t quite understand why this film was made and I don’t mean that in a derogatory sense! Director Samira Makhmalbaf is the daughter of another Iranian filmmaker and she was 18 at the time of filming. She read about two young girls who were basically trapped inside their house by their parents for their entire lives and were recently taken by the Iranian equivalent of Child Protective Services. Where I would have been like “oh that’s terrible, I hope they all find healing” after reading the article, Makhmalbaf instead went to this family and said “hey wanna make a movie about your lives together?” Wild choice!
It’s not quite a documentary because the storyline was thought out before hand, but everyone (including the two girls who had no contact with people on the outside! And the social worker!) plays themselves. So the acting/dialogue isn’t great, but it is watchable and interesting to see. I can’t quite tell how exploitative this movie is though . . .? It’s not that it’s poorly done, but it does feel ethically messy. Especially in the wake of people like Gypsy Rose Blanchard, I don’t think i would have chosen this path! On the plus side though, the interactions between children that drive the plot are really tender, and there is definitely some #feminist commentary. I’m glad the girls in real life were freed and got to explore the world!
March Around The World 2026: Iran
I am so behind on March Around the World, but I will try to persevere!
I don’t quite understand why this film was made and I don’t mean that in a derogatory sense! Director Samira Makhmalbaf is the daughter of another Iranian filmmaker and she was 18 at the time of filming. She read about two young girls who were basically trapped inside their house by their parents for their entire lives and were recently taken by the Iranian equivalent of Child Protective Services. Where I would have been like “oh that’s terrible, I hope they all find healing” after reading the article, Makhmalbaf instead went to this family and said “hey wanna make a movie about your lives together?” Wild choice!
It’s not quite a documentary because the storyline was thought out before hand, but everyone (including the two girls who had no contact with people on the outside! And the social worker!) plays themselves. So the acting/dialogue isn’t great, but it is watchable and interesting to see. I can’t quite tell how exploitative this movie is though . . .? It’s not that it’s poorly done, but it does feel ethically messy. Especially in the wake of people like Gypsy Rose Blanchard, I don’t think i would have chosen this path! On the plus side though, the interactions between children that drive the plot are really tender, and there is definitely some #feminist commentary. I’m glad the girls in real life were freed and got to explore the world!
March Around The World 2026: Iran
I don’t quite understand why this film was made and I don’t mean that in a derogatory sense! Director Samira Makhmalbaf is the daughter of another Iranian filmmaker and she was 18 at the time of filming. She read about two young girls who were basically trapped inside their house by their parents for their entire lives and were recently taken by the Iranian equivalent of Child Protective Services. Where I would have been like “oh that’s terrible, I hope they all find healing” after reading the article, Makhmalbaf instead went to this family and said “hey wanna make a movie about your lives together?” Wild choice!
It’s not quite a documentary because the storyline was thought out before hand, but everyone (including the two girls who had no contact with people on the outside! And the social worker!) plays themselves. So the acting/dialogue isn’t great, but it is watchable and interesting to see. I can’t quite tell how exploitative this movie is though . . .? It’s not that it’s poorly done, but it does feel ethically messy. Especially in the wake of people like Gypsy Rose Blanchard, I don’t think i would have chosen this path! On the plus side though, the interactions between children that drive the plot are really tender, and there is definitely some #feminist commentary. I’m glad the girls in real life were freed and got to explore the world!
March Around The World 2026: Iran
MopudPRO
9.0★ · 09/09/25
Honestly such an easy film to enjoy. The storytelling flows so naturally that it never feels boring, not even for a moment. Iranian cinema always blows me away with non-professional actors somehow it makes everything feel more real, more alive, like i’m just watching life happen in front of me. And the fact that Samira Makhmalbaf made this when she was only 17?? That’s crazy impressive. At that age she was already creating something this good 🫶🏻🤩.
Honestly such an easy film to enjoy. The storytelling flows so naturally that it never feels boring, not even for a moment. Iranian cinema always blows me away with non-professional actors somehow it makes everything feel more real, more alive, like i’m just watching life happen in front of me. And the fact that Samira Makhmalbaf made this when she was only 17?? That’s crazy impressive. At that age she was already creating something this good 🫶🏻🤩.
isabella
7.3★ · 06/23/25
this was absolutely terrifying
this was absolutely terrifying
James Camerom
this was an incredibly difficult watch and im not sure how to rate it quite yet. samira makhmalbaf is a master behind the camera, utilising documentary-aspects to document the lives of 2 real-life abused children who were robbed of a childhood, as she shows us a simple day outside for them. extremely tough.
this was an incredibly difficult watch and im not sure how to rate it quite yet. samira makhmalbaf is a master behind the camera, utilising documentary-aspects to document the lives of 2 real-life abused children who were robbed of a childhood, as she shows us a simple day outside for them. extremely tough.