That postmen don't want to be postmen

One of the more interesting ideas of Iranian cinema has been to use non-actors to act themselves. This on the theory (invented elsewhere) that everyone has one great novel in him -- that of his life; hence, it would seem to follow, everyone should be able to act one role perfectly -- himself. Accordingly, Iranian directors have cast postmen as postmen and shoe-makers as shoemakers.

Makhmalbaf's Salam Cinema suggests the theory is based on a bad misperception; it is a house built on quicksand. The film tells of auditions for a film following a newspaper ad. The auditioning site is besieged -- thousands of hopefuls camp outside day and night; when the gates open, there is a stampede and several people get hurt in the ensuing melee. Auditions are taken in groups of ten. In public and before camera, aspirants plead, argue and weep for the shadow of a shadow of a shadow of a chance to act in a film.

Yet, when asked why they want to act, all say the same thing: they want the chance to act someone else. The general populace, it turns out, does not want to be itself. Postment don't want to be postmen; shoemakers don't want to be shoemakers. With one voice they say, in fact, our life sucks. We don't want it.