Shireen and Atafeh are young women in heavily censored Tehran who begin a passionate, clandestine affair. Among the many obstacles these occasionally reckless lovers face is Atafeh’s strict Muslim brother. His sinister interest in Shireen sets the stage for a crisis that demonstrates the manner in which religious authoritarianism is rooted in and devoted to the patriarchal control of women. France/USA/Iran, 2011, 107 minutes, in Persian with English subtitles, rated R for sexual content, strong language and some drug use
Winner/Audience Award, Sundance Film Festival 2011
Community Partner: VCS Gay Pride Rockland
“A rhapsodic erotic romance that takes place in a cultural prison, and it pulses with a defiance that would be mischievous if it weren’t so rip-roaringly angry.” – Ty Burr, Boston Globe
“This is a movie about longing, desire, desperation and the abandonment of principle – quite a collection of themes, all universal.” – John Anderson, Wall Street Journal
