Project Detail

Divorce Iranian Style

Mr. Jamshidi

Synopsis

In a small Tehran courtroom, the stories of three strong-willed women unfold as they use reason, charm, pleas for sympathy, anger, even a disarming wit to win what they each need - a divorce. Divorce Iranian Style is a unique window into the impassioned but very practical business of divorce - and marriage - in three Iranian women's lives. Jamileh, whose son saved her from the hand of her abusive husband; Ziba, an outspoken 16-year-old who proudly stands up to her 38 year-old husband and his family; and Maryam, remarried and desperate to regain custody of her two daughters. Stirring and poignant, this fly-on-the-wall look into the real circumstances of Iranian women's lives shatters the stereotype of women as passive victims in the Muslim world. (Edinburgh Film Festival Review)

Details

Year: 1998
Running time: 80 minutes
Format: 16mm, BetaSP, DigiBeta
Director: Kim Longinotto, Ziba Mir-Hosseini
Producer: Kim Longinotto
Editor: Barrie Vince
Director of Photography: Kim Longinotto
Sound: Christine Felce

Genre

Woman Director Asian

Production Status

Complete

Production Company

Vixen Films 26 Balfour Road London N5 2HE, England Tel: +44 (0)20 7359 7368 tg@tgraham.demon.co.uk

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Suggest amendments

This film is set in a refuge for girls in Tehran and follows the stories of five girls who come here. These girls, in leaving a situation that has become intolerable, show incredible courage and resourcefulness. The film explores their experiences of authority, their longing for respect and freedom, and their hopes for a brighter future. The centre is run by the dynamic and charismatic Mrs Shirazi, who protects the girls from their families and helps them to renegotiate their relationships. The film shows how Iranian women are learning to challenge the old rules, and how rapidly their country is changing. Farsi Dialogue English subtitles.

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