Synopsis : Manzar, a woman set in her rigid ways and beliefs, has been ostracized by her family and now ekes out a lonely existence. One day, she suddenly receives a call from her sister: her niece has been arrested for not wearing a hijab. Despite implorations from her family, Manzar sticks to her fundamentalist beliefs - her niece, an unbeliever, ought to be punished for the sin she’s committed. Finding herself all alone in a changing world, and increasingly racked by fear and guilt, Manzar begins to pray for heavenly deliverance.
Director :
Manijeh Hekmat, Faeze Azizkhani
Producer :
Manijeh Hekmat, Amir Esfandiari, Ahmad Azizkhani
Screenplay :
Manijeh Hekmat, Faeze Azizkhani
DOP :
Amir Salar, Salek Ardestani
Editor :
Amir Adibparavar
Cast :
Amaneh Agharezakashi, Ahmad Azizkhani, Ghazal Ajdadi
Manijeh Hekmat started her film career as a producer, and is now a prominent figure in Iranian cinema. Her films –including Women’s Prison (2002), Three Women (2007), and Bandar Band (2020) – have premiered at major international festivals such as Venice, Berlinale, and Toronto.
A cinema student, Faeze Azizkhani participated in Abbas Kiarostami’s film workshops, and also benefited from his presence as the advisor for her debut feature film For a Rainy Day (2015). Her second feature film, The Locust (2022), was an official selection in festivals such as Karlovy Vary, SXSW, and Edinburgh Film Festival.