This is a film of heart-warming, tragicomedy about the life of middle class women living in Iran – where an unmarried woman and a man are subject to censorship.
This is the third film from directors Maryam Moghadam and Behtash Sanaeeha (Ballad of a White Cow) who had their passports confiscated, and were prevented from leaving the airport in Tehran on their way to the world premiere of their film in Berlin.
Last year, they were charged with propaganda against the regime, and acting against national security. Â Iranian security forces raided the house of the editor, seizing rushes and other materials connected to the production.
Fortunately there was copy in another country. Thirty film organizations wrote an open letter calling on the Islamic government to lift the ban.
The film has been sold to more than 40 key distributors and has screened at festivals around the world, and won many awards.
There is a delightful sound track from Henrik Nagy, and excellent cinematography by Mohammad Haddadi.
70 year old Mahin (played by a totally convincing Lili Farhadpour) is a large woman who has been widowed for 30 years. She sleeps till noon. Her home is immaculately kept, and her day is spent watering her walled garden, and shopping.
She has a group of women friends who often used to lunch together, but now see each other way less often.
On this occasion, there is much hilarity and talk about health – and a discussion about whether it is possible to find romance in their old age.
Mahin is encouraged by her friends to find a romantic companion.
At a restaurant where pensioner’s food vouchers are accepted, she spots a man around her own age sitting on his own and finds out that his name is Faramarz (Esmaeel Mehrabi). He is a taxi driver. She asks him to take her home.
When they arrive, she invites him to come in, and asks him to sit outside her bedroom while she changes her clothes and checks her make-up.
She is getting ready for what is developing into an assignation, and makes him her favourite cake. They take pleasure in each other’s company – along with a very large bottle of wine.
It is a night of music, dance and illegal pleasures. A night to remember.
Spoken in Farsi, with English sub-titles.
97 minutes.
Showing at UWA Somerville Crawley from Monday 2nd to Sunday 8th December.
Watch the trailer…
