A student named Elham falls in love with likable Amir and loses her virginity. But her lover doesn’t intend to marry her and so Elham finds herself in a desperate situation. When it comes out that the girl is no longer a virgin, she and her former boyfriend end up in court. Under such pressure, Amir quickly changes from an understanding friend into a pragmatist: he pushes his ex-lover to change her testimony and deny that it was he who dishonored her. According to tradition, there is only one way Elham’s father can solve her unfortunate situation. Director Zamani Esmati cogently spells out the hopeless position of an intelligent, educated woman in a traditionally-structured Muslim society. Behind the compelling minimalist visuals of his psychological drama, shot in the best tradition of Iranian cinema, the filmmaker questions what kind of society considers Elham’s tragic story acceptable. Renowned director and screenwriter Jafar Panahi contributed to this film as an editing consultant. —KVIFF
