Kaveh Mousavi’s Top 10 Iranian Films

3. Women’s Prison (2002) – Manijeh Hekmat

So this is that “best film of the feminist wave of talented filmmakers” which I promised you. While Bani E’temad is the better filmmaker (Hekmat’s next film kinda sucked), I think this is the best film of its genre. It’s such a cinematic achievement. The acting of every single actress is such a masterful rendition of character, the writing is so beautiful and moving; everything is perfect. Also, the film splendidly balances socially and politically conscious messages with artistic integrity and mastery.

The story concerns a prison for women. There’s a new warden, who deals with the prisoners with a much tougher hand. The hero is a prisoner who rebels against the authoritarian new warden, and she also takes a younger, more rebellious inmate under her wings. I won’t spoil the incredible ride the story of this film will prove to be; you have to watch it for yourself.

For anyone having a rudimentary familiarity with Iranian history and politics, you can see how the film serves as a symbolic retelling of Iranian history, too (there are just so many layers to this film). I’m amazed as I think about movies like Under the Skin of the City and Women’s Prison that could never be made today, or could’ve never been made before Khatami’s presidency. If not for anything else, his name will be respected in Iranian history for creating the atmosphere when our greatest cultural era happened.