Description
Synopsis:
In an Iranian juvenile detention center, a group of adolescent girls are serving time for having murdered their father, husband or another male family member. Three of the girls having killed their fathers with the help of their mothers. The mothers await execution elsewhere. Unlike their mothers’ somber pall, the atmosphere in the girls’ living quarters, shared cell with teen-bed-room feel, classroom and grass-lined courtyard where a brood of ducklings scamper about, seems almost carefree. It gradually becomes apparent, however, that apart from being a prison, this closed, all-female environment is also a shelter from an aggressively male-dominated society.
About the director:
Mehrdad Oskouei is an Iranian filmmaker, producer, photographer and researcher born in Tehran in 1969 and later graduating in film direction from the University of Arts. His films have been screened at numerous festivals both at home and abroad to great critical acclaim, making him one of the major Iranian documentary makers. In 2010 Oskouei received the Dutch Prince Claus Award for his achievements. He is a founding member of the Institute of Anthropology and Culture and has sat on several international film festival juries as well as being a cultural ambassador for the United Nation’s humanitarian committee UCHA. He also teaches at film schools in Iran and other countries.
Selected Filmography: My Mother’s Home, Lagoon (2000), The Other Side of Burka (2004), Nose, Iranian Style (2005), It’s Always Late for Freedom (2007), The Last Days of Winter (2011), Starless Dreams (2016).