32/25
Chronology
Investigating judge Iman struggles with paranoia amid political unrest in Tehran
When his gun goes missing, he suspects his wife and daughters and imposes draconian measures that erode family ties as social norms crumble. Director Mohammad Rasoulof was originally scheduled to attend the 2023 Cannes Film Festival as a member of the Un Certain Regard jury.
However, he was arrested in July 2022 after criticizing the government’s crackdown on protesters in the southwestern city of Abadan, Iran, for a deadly building collapse
. On May 8, 2024, Rasouloff’s lawyer announced that he had been sentenced to eight years in prison, as well as flogging, a fine, and the confiscation of his assets.
On May 12, 2024, Rasouloff announced that he had managed to flee Iran and was staying in an undisclosed location in Europe
On May 24, 2024, Rasouloff attended the film’s premiere in Cannes and held up photos of the film’s two actors, Soheila Golestani and Missagh Zareh, on the red carpet. A country that does not treat its citizens as free and responsible people, especially violating women’s rights, represents a backward culture to me.
It is sad to see how big the gap is between parents when it comes to obeying the government and devotion to God
Despite what insiders may see as credibility, I found it to be a candid account of how a regime and a religion that is present in every vein of society can lead people to irrational actions. It is also interesting to see how even in Iran, young people are standing up for themselves and demanding more freedom – which they are not getting.