A rural teenage girl secretly brings her boyfriend home when no one is around. However, when her family unexpectedly returns, she must quickly find a way to get him out.
Runtime: 01:22:00
Category: Long Film
Director: Mirabbas Khosravinezhad
Mirabbas Khosravinezhad, born on September 11, 1977, in Khorramabad, Iran, is an Iranian director and scriptwriter. After graduating in Mechanical Engineering in 2000, he directed his first short narrative film titled Khorram. Since then, he has directed nine independent short narrative films.
Director’s Statement
Twenty years ago, when my wife and I were dating, we had to arrange our meetings in secret. At that time, we were not allowed to communicate openly to get to know each other well. We were only permitted to meet with a third person present.
We wanted to learn more about each other, but cultural restrictions and social laws prevented us from doing so freely. We couldn’t walk in the streets, visit coffee shops, or do typical activities. We were always afraid that an acquaintance might see us, which could cause serious problems. Sometimes we met outside the village, in the mountains. It might sound poetic, but we just wanted to be alone for a while.
After we married, I made a short film based on this experience. It was very successful, but it was not allowed to be shown in Iran due to censorship.
This is a systemic issue in my country. After the Islamic Revolution, relationships between girls and boys became forbidden. Authorities constantly try to separate men and women, doing everything possible to prevent any interaction between them, leading to an increase in secret relationships.
Now, I have a teenage son who often asks me how he can find a girlfriend. Boys and girls attend separate schools, sit in different places on buses and the metro, and generally have no interaction. They grow more distant from each other, which will lead to problems in the future.
Despite the passage of time, the situation remains unchanged from when my wife and I were young. Logically, things should improve gradually, but they haven’t. Boys and girls still aren’t allowed to talk freely or be friends in society. They must resort to secrecy, even if they’re able to navigate the restrictions. Often, this leads to serious consequences, such as being arrested by the police.
In larger cities, the situation is somewhat better, as there are different places where they can meet secretly. However, in small villages, where everyone knows each other, secret meetings become nearly impossible. I’ve witnessed deadly fights between families over secret relationships in the village. It’s terrible and sometimes results in death or forces people to leave their homes.
The fear of secret relationships prevents healthy ones from forming. Boys and girls know each other less and less, creating a relationship crisis among the youth. When healthy relationships don’t form, imagination becomes active, leading to fantasies and uncontrolled emotions. Shockingly, some boys and girls still marry after just one meeting, a practice common in some cities and even more regrettable in villages.
Our generation’s ability to love was stifled during our youth. I don’t want my son to experience the same struggles. Perhaps this film can help improve the situation for boys and girls. I am committed to making more films on this theme, hoping our voices will be better heard.
