Dariush Mehrjui Talks about "The Cow"

The fim's poster

Iranian New Wave refers to a new movement in Iranian cinema. It started in 1969 after the release of The Cow directed by Darius Mehrjui. It was followed by Masoud Kimiai's Qeysar, and Nasser Taqvai's Calm in Front of Others. They set off a trend that was cultural, dynamic and intellectual. The Iranian viewer became discriminating, encouraging the new trend to prosper and develop. In 3-4 years, 40-50 noteworthy films were made, establishing the New Wave of Iranian cinema.

Dariush Mehrju'i (Persian: داریوش مهرجویی , born 8 December 1939 in Tehran) is an Iranian director, screenwriter, producer, and film editor. As an Iranian New Wave cinema icon, Mehrjui is regarded to be one of the intellectual directors of Iranian cinema. Most of his films are inspired by literature and adopted based on Iranian and foreign novels and plays.

The Cow (Persian: گاو, Gāv) is a 1969 Iranian movie directed by Dariush Mehrjui, written by Gholam-Hossein Saedi based on his own play and novel, and starring Ezatolah Entezami as Masht Hasan. Some believe that "New Wave" of Persian cinema emerged after this film.

The story begins by showcasing the close relationship between a middle-aged Iranian villager Masht Hasan and his beloved cow. Hassan is married but has no child. His only valuable property is a cow that he cherishes - the only cow in the village.

When Hasan must leave the village for a short time, the pregnant cow is found dead in the barn. Hasan's fellow villagers fear his reaction and cover up the evidence of the death and tell him upon his return that his cow has run away. Finding great difficulty confronting the loss of his beloved cow, as well the loss of livestock that affects his social stature at the village, Hasan gradually goes insane following a nervous breakdown and believes he is the cow, adopting such mannerisms as eating hay. His wife & the villagers try their best to bring him back to the normal life but all in vain. The tragedy ends with Hasan's death. (From Wikipedia)