The Day I Became a Woman

Colour, 35 mm
Iran, 2000, 80 min
Section: Forum of Independents

Synopsis

The film describes the position of women in a country where just being a woman is a problem. In the first episode, little Hava is about to celebrate her ninth birthday. On the morning of the day in question, her mother tells her that, now that she is a woman, it would be a sin for her to go out of the house. Her grandmother points out that Hava was born at midday, so she can go out for the last few hours and say a sad, final farewell to her friends... The second episode follows a girl’s cycling race. The girl in the lead is being chased by her male relatives who threaten to throw her out of the house if she continues what they consider an indecent pastime for a woman... The last episode is about an old woman who dreams about buying everything she couldn’t afford during her lifetime: refrigerators, television sets, dishwashers... In three episodes, the film looks at three generations of women who have to give up their dreams.

About the director

Marziyeh Meshkini (b. 1969, Teheran) studied film at the Makhmalbaf’s Film School from 1996 to 2001. She has been assistant director to both Mohsen and Samira Makhmalbaf. In 2000 her film The Day When I Became a Woman (Roozi keh zan shodam) was screened at Venice and won the CinemAvvenire prize, as well as prizes at other film festivals around the world (Chicago, Oslo, Pusan, Toronto, Thessalonica).