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Abbas Kiarostami Recommends Programme 1 Iran
The Ladies' (Zananeh)
Situated in a public park within the bustling heart of Tehran is a ladies' public toilet. Run by an old woman, it is a shelter for girls and women who gather, talk, laugh, cry and live. Runaway girls, drug dealers, prostitutes and even ordinary women all find an attentive ear and a safe haven where they are unveiled, both physically and figuratively. Directed by popular Iranian actress, Mahnaz Afzali, The Ladies' is an extraordinary and bare chronicle of everyday life.
D/S Mahnaz Afzali P Hassan Poor-Shirazi, Mahnaz Afzali WS Iranian Independents L Farsi w/English subtitles TD Video/Col/2003/55mins
Mahnaz Afzali was born in Tehran, Iran in 1964. Films include: No Witness (2000).
Maryam's Sin (Gonah-e Maryam)
On 28 August 2002, a man beheaded his seven-year-old daughter, Maryam, suspecting her of having a 'secret affair' with her uncle (her mother's brother). This horrendous act is exposed in chilling detail by director Parisa Shahandeh, as she examines the implications on the family and community, where a victim of a sexual abuse is punished for her 'sin'. Interviews with the father, other family members, the heads of the tribe and local authorities reveal the tragic legacy of the tradition of 'family punishments'.
Please note: contains scenes that may offend some viewers
D/P/S Parisa Shahandeh WS Iranian Independents L Farsi w/English subtitles TD Video/Col/2004/30mins
Parisa Shahandeh was born in Tehran, Iran in 1966. Films include: Parse, Heritage of The Achamenian Dynasty (1995), The Absent Moon (1999, short), The Third (2000, short), Royan (2002, short).