Maryan Keshavarz, an Iranian film maker, has made a controversial new film following two 16 year old girls who fall in love in Iran. The film had some problems in production as they were unable to film in Iran due to the controversial nature of the topic. Keshavarz chose instead to film in Beirut, but since homosexuality is illegal in Lebanon she needed government permission to film there, which involved submitting a script. She submitted a version that didn't involve scenes of religious and sexual nature, but shooting the scenes anyhow.
The film's
facebook page gives a description of the film:
Set in contemporary Iran in the unseen world of Iranian youth culture, filled with underground parties, sex, drugs and defiance, CIRCUMSTANCE is the story of two vivacious young girls -- wealthy Atafeh and orphaned Shireen -- discovering their burgeoning sexuality and, like 16 year-old girls anywhere, struggling with their desires and the boundaries placed upon them by the world they were born into.
Full plot outline after the jump.
Atafeh and her brother, Mehran, have grown up in a home filled with music, art, and intellectual curiosity. Atafeh dreams of fame and adventure, and she and her best friend, Shireen, explore Tehran’s underground scene with youthful exuberance and determination to be themselves. Meanwhile, Mehran returns home from drug rehab, and renounces his former decadent life with a vengeance. His once obsessive practice of classical music soon finds more destructive outlets.
Having lost his parents’ trust, Mehran is jealous of Atafeh’s loving relationship with their father and tries to find new meaning in his life. He relentlessly watches his family and slowly becomes estranged from them. As Mehran disapprovingly observes a budding relationship between Atafeh and Shireen, he becomes obsessed with saving Shireen from his sister’s influence.
The once close siblings find themselves at dangerous odds with each other. As violence and desire collide, the once safe haven of the family home becomes increasingly claustrophobic and threatening.
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I sometimes think it is a very sad world we live in. Two Iranian soccer players were not allowed to celebrate their recent win. The above butt grabbing may be turned into a crime punishable by a public lashing or jail time. Mohammad Nosrati and Sheys Rezaei jumped on a pile of their teammates following the game winning goal on Saturday and I don't blame them for being happy. Sadly, Iranian authorities called the butt grab an immoral act and members of parliament, sports officials and judges have called for punishment and Iran’s football federation suspended both players and fined them nearly $40,000 each. WTF, this is beyond crazy.
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