Sunday July 19th 2015, Iranian Movie night: The Day I Became a Woman (Persian: Roozi ke zan shodam, روزی که زن شدم‎) by Marzieh Meshkini (2000, 78 minutes). In Persian with English subtitles. Door opens at 8pm, film begins at 9pm. Free admission.

It is comprised of three interconnected vignettes that depict women at three stages of life in Iran. It premièred at the 2000 Venice Film Festival and won several festival awards during 2000. This film is episodic and it consists of 3 stories about the women’s situation in Iran.

First story: Hava
One morning a small girl named Hava wakes up and notices that she has become a woman because she is now 9 years old and playing in the streets with the boys is considered a sin from that day on. Hava cries and asks her grandmother to go to the street for one last goodbye with the boys.

Second story: Ahoo
This episode is about a young lady whom participates in the women’s bicycle race with her black traditional chador (veil) and her husband, while riding a horse, threatens to divorce her if she doesn’t get off the bicycle.

Third story: Houra
This episode is about an old woman whom has inherited some money during the last years of her life after years of poverty and now she has decided to spend all the money before she dies and to buy all the stuff that she always wished to buy during her life.

The film was co-written by director Marzieh Meshkini, from a script by her husband Mohsen Makhmalbaf. It was shot on Kish Island in the Hormozgān Province in southern Iran. Meshkini has said that as a female filmmaker, she found making a film in Iran particularly difficult, having to prove her abilities to the cast and crew before being accepted by them.

More info about the director: http://www.makhmalbaf.com/?q=marziyeh
More about the film: http://www.makhmalbaf.com/?q=film/the-day-I-Became-A-Woman

Film night at Joe’s Garage, cozy cinema! Doors open at 8pm, film begins at 9pm, free entrance. You want to play a movie, let us know: joe@squat.net