Biography

Fatemeh Meshkini
Born on March 30, 1961, in downtown Tehran. The recipient of a high school diploma, she lost her mother to a car accident at age 10.
Her father had a small shop in downtown Tehran and when Fatemeh’s mother passed away, she cared for her younger sisters while also helping her father in his business establishment. One month after the 1979 Iranian revolution, 18 year-old Fatemeh wed the recently released political prisoner and future film director Mohsen Makhmalbaf.
She eventually went to work in her husband’s movies as a set assistant, director’s assistant and sometimes as an actress. The young wife and mother got badly burned during an accident in October 1992. She was 30 years old.>br> Fatemeh traveled to Germany for medical attention accompanied by her husband but to no avail. She passed away in Hanover, Germany on November 20, 1992. Fatemeh left behind three children; Samira, Meysam and Hana Makhmalbaf.
Mohsen Makhmalbaf says, “I have purchased a grave next to hers. In this way we can continue our lives together after my death. Before her passing she asked me to bring up her children as artists and real human beings and I have been working all these years to act according to her will”.

Backstage of the movie Marriage of the Blessed

Day, interior, Mostowfi’s house
Mrs. Fatemeh Meshkini (Mohsen Makhmalbaf's wife) the film’s set assistant is reviewing the upcoming scene. Makhmalbaf jumps down from the pram, scattering his papers around and says: “Haji the shot, and light is not good, we have to repeat it.” You have to say, “Those who have more socks than they can ever wear, houses they will never live in and more wives than they will ever see”. Haji is standing above Makhmalbaf and he throws the script towards him.
They shoot the interior scene: the wedding room. It is a middle shot from Nayereh and Mehri, who are sitting at the richly decorated wedding cloth. A mirror stands behind them and their image can be seen in it. The candles are burning and the cloth is set. Meshkini is overseeing the various elements of the scene and Makhmalbaf is talking to her in rapid tones. Fifteen to 20 women are sitting at the wedding cloth. Makhmalbaf says: “Light, give me some light”
Meshkini is busy writing scene numbers on the clacket. She works the clacket with the numbers 1, 2, 3. Makhmalbaf throws a shower of candies into the frame from behind the camera. They shoot the scene.
The next scene, which is the last one, has Haji entering the women's gathering place, moving towards Mehri while Mehrdad takes a picture of them. Haji then takes a picture of Mehri and Nayereh.
Meshkini has brought pastry for Makhmalbaf and they congratulate each other on the work just accomplished. I speak to them. She says, “I was at nearly all the movie shoots except for Fleeing from Evil to God. In filming The Peddler, I only worked in the episode depicting the happy child. Of course I didn’t have a very professional attitude towards filming and was primarily involved in solving problems for the other ladies who were working at the scene.
What is your position in this movie? Meshkini says that she is the set assistant and a trainee.
Then she explains, “When it gets crowded and there is too much work to be done, it is extremely difficult to check the correct coordination of shots in each sequence. Mohsen has a very good memory and he helps me. It is the same in all the other aspects of the work as well. He has a trainer’s approach towards everyone in all of his films. That is why our crew is constantly changing and a new crew comes for instruction. I am being trained at the same time as well.”
I ask her about the speed of the movie Marriage of the Blessed. She notes, “All the movies made good progress and this was no exception. The work goes quite fast because Mohsen is smart and quick and we have problems related to facilities in all the movies. In this film the swiftness of Mohsen and the cameraman is gratifying for all concerned. I hope we get the results as soon as possible.”
I thank her. Everyone leaves.

Ebrahim Nabavi