For those who have had an opportunity to see its films—and at least one major studio seems curiously dedicated to making sure some of them don't get seen—it's been a pleasure to watch Iran emerge as one of the most interesting and diverse forces in world cinema today. Setting aside from the works he's had purchased by Miramax, Abbas Kiarostami (Where Is The Friend's Home?, Taste Of Cherry) has had the best luck getting his films seen in America. But in sharp contrast to Kiarostami's naturalistic approach stands Mohsen Makhmalbaf's Gabbeh, a film relying as much on lush romanticism as Kiarostami's work depends on the understated drama of everyday life. Hossein and Roghieh Moharami star as an elderly couple who spend the afternoon washing an illustrated carpet (the "gabbeh" of the title). In the process, the carpet comes to life in the form of a beautiful young woman (Shaghayeh Djodat) who relates the story behind its origins, a tale of love repeatedly delayed by the societal constraints of the nomadic people to which she belongs. With a story of fairy-tale simplicity, or at least one that needs to create the illusion of such simplicity, Gabbeh derives its power more from Makhmalbaf's beautifully poetic imagery than from narrative drive. The director's powerful use of editing and ability to create breathtakingly beautiful compositions, however, make the film more compelling in its almost magic-realist approach than traditional storytelling might have allowed, helping make Gabbeh a wonderful movie in the fullest sense of the word.