When a famous Iranian director sets out to make a movie about men having to live as women, she quickly finds that her actors struggle with the restrictions placed on the female half of society.
Real-life director Ghasideh Golmakani, who wrote her doctorate on Iranian film, came up with the idea after reflecting on the way that women are treated in the country’s vibrant movie industry. “Analyzing a lot of film… So she got to wondering how the men involved in the movie business would cope if they suddenly found themselves having to live as women.
Because dramas can be tough to make and because it can be easier to get your message across when people are laughing, the filmmaker said she chose satire.
I found out that there are a lot of misogynistic scenes, which are the choice of filmmakers, (not something) imposed by the government or by any authorities,” she told AFP at the Toronto International Film Festival last week. The movie-in-the-movie action is constantly interrupted when the renowned female director yells “Cut!” in frustration at her actors’ struggles to stay in character.
