The Patience Stone

French based Afghan novelist turned director Atiq Rahimi adapted his second novel for the screen which puts him in a small circle of authors adapting their own novel for the cinema. Set during an unspecified time, a young Afghan woman finds solace in her own comatose husband whom she imagines as her own magical stone that she can tell her secrets and desires. Rahimi who won the highest literature prize in France for his novel, the Prix Goncourt adapted his novel with legendary writer Jean-Claude Carrière helping him to open the mostly monologue driven novel for cinematic interpretation. Rahimi who also adapted his first novel "Earth and Ashes" for the screen, succeeds even more the second time around which cuts deep into the hypocrisy of the male dominated Afghan culture to shed light on the plight of Afghan women who have the burden to overcome their suffering of mythical proportions that's beyond imagination. Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani gives a tour-de-force performance in the lead with a flawless performance overcoming the language barrier. Ace French cinematographer Thierry Arbogast's contribution can't be underestimated with his stunning photography from the first frame to the last. 1001 Films' coverage of the 56th San Francisco International Film Festival.