Simone De Beauvoir’s exquisite pronouncement on the social construction of gender in her Second Sex (1949) spoke to generations of women, and of a universal truth beyond countries and cultures. As an example of astonishing visual poignancy, The Day I became a Woman is the globally celebrated debut of Marziyeh Meshkini, a young Iranian filmmaker bringing her rich and diversified national cinema to bear on an enduring global concern, in a new crescendo of memorable subtlety and grace. “The Day” is repeated in three consecutive episodes—the memorial registers of childhood, adolescence, and old age—when three stages of “becoming” a woman is culturally manufactured and socially registered. Between Simone De Beauvoir and Marziyeh Meshkini, generations of women (and men), from all cultures around the world, will have much to learn and even more to achieve. –Olive Films

Director

Marzieh Makhmalbaf

Marzieh Makhmalbaf (Marzieh Meshkini) was born in 1969 in Tehran. She is the wife of celebrated Iranian director Mohsen Makhmalbaf. She studied Cinema in Makhmalbaf Film school for 8 years.

Her first film The Day I Became a Woman, (a 3-episode story) attended the Critics Week category in Venice International Film Festival in 2000 and won 3 awards from that festival. Her second film Stray Dogs competed in the best film category at Venice Film Festival in 2003 and received two awards from the festival. Her film has received many international awards across the world.

She has worked as assistant director in The Apple, Blackboards, At Five In The Afternoon and Two-Legged Horse by Samira Makhmalbaf as well as collaborating in several recent films by Mohsen Makhmalbaf. She is also the scriptwriter of the award-winning film Buddha Collapsed Out Of Shame by Hana Makhmalbaf, which has won the Chrystal Bear from Berlin… read more

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Mattia

15Nov12

I could smell the sea from this movie.

Brenda Flo

29Jul12

Great experience. Interesting way to show a woman's "life" in Iran.

Law

13Dec09

A throroughly capitivating film that never fails to interest the viewer with its engaging storylines and fantastical landscapes.Whimsically simple yet metaphorically complex, the film, through symbols and imagry, raises important ideas of what it means to be a woman in Iran, ideas that remain relevant to all contemporary communities despite cultural differences. A fantastic, inspired and confident debut.

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