Iran: Behind the Walls

Running Time: 45 minutes
Country: Turkey / Iran
Genre: Documentary
Cast: Fatma Mutemedarya, Pouran Derakhshandeh, Münire Ravanipur, Azem Talegani, Fatemeh Ashrafi, Mahla Zamani, Rafat Bayat, Suheyla Culodarzade, Nefiseh Hajhosemi, Haideh Zarrinbal, Firouzeh Mohamad Tamani, Lily Wanshidiad, Ferzaneh Hemeti
Director: Hakan Tokyay

In Iran women are the key to the transformation of the country. Women played an influential role in the downfall of the Shah in 1979 and the rise to power of Muhammad Khatemi. After Khatemi became president, discussions in the media started an ongoing debate on dress code, the chador, punishments for criminals such as diyet and rajm, polygamy, the muta (short-term) marriage, women’s abilities to become judges, women’s right to divorce, their visability in the cinema, television and the media. Women claimed that the culture of patriarchy rather than religion kept women under pressure.

Where do Iranian women stand vis a vis religious authorities and pro-freedom intellectuals?

Hakan Tokyay
Director

Enes Hakan Tokyay is a director from Stuttgart. As a graduate student in Audiovisual Media University Stuttgart (HdM) he made several short films and the second season of the film documentary series " Women in Islamic Countries" shown at the International Film Festival Sao Paulo and on Turkish television. Zwei dieser Filme (zu Algerien und Pakistan) wurden für die Reihe "Islam im Film" des 28. Two of these films (on Algeria and Pakistan) were for the series "Islam in the film" of 28 Filmfestivals Max-Ophüls-Preis im Januar 2007 ausgewählt. Film festivals Max Ophüls Prize in January 2007.