The House Is Black (1963)

In her first and only film, the influential Iranian film director and controversial modernist poet, Forugh Farrokhzad, depicts a series of events during the everyday lives of the inhabitants of the Bababaghi Hospice leper colony. Without shying away from documenting the various stages of leprosy, Forugh Farrokhzad captures the raw essence of what living with leprosy is like, using powerful images, rapid-fire editing, and an unforgettable, tragically poetic narration. —Nick Riganas