knucklebones (Knucklebones) (translated)

Knucklebones, also known by the alternate title The Gamble, is a 1971 Iranian drama written and directed by Zackaria Hashemi. It marked Hashemi's first feature-length work as a director and reportedly earned favorable notices from critics writing in period film magazines such as Ferdowsi and Setareh-ye Cinema. The ensemble includes Nasır Melek (credited elsewhere as Naser Malek Motiee), Bahman Mofid and Hossein Gil, together with Shahrzad, Yadolla Shirandami, Hassan Khayatbashi and Sharouz Ramtin. As an early directorial effort from the pre-revolutionary Iranian film scene, it stands among the debut features of that era's independent filmmakers.