Tehran Taboo
In this gorgeously animated drama, the lives of several strong-willed women and a young musician intersect. Their stories reveal the hypocrisies of modern Iranian society,... Read more
Tehran Taboo
Directed by Ali Soozandeh
Tehran Taboo
Zar Amir Ebrahimi
Arash Marandi
Bilal Yasar
Negar Mona Alizadeh
Payam Madjilessi
Sound Janis Grossman
Editors Andrea Mertens and Frank Geiger
Cinematographer Martin Gschlacht
Writer Ali Soozandeh
Composed by Ali N. Askin
In this gorgeously animated drama, the lives of several strong-willed women and a young musician intersect. Their stories reveal the hypocrisies of modern Iranian society, where sex, drugs, and corruption coexist with strict religious law. In the bustling metropolis of Tehran, avoiding prohibitions has become an everyday sport and breaking taboos can be a means of personal emancipation. Nevertheless, women invariably end up on the bottom rung of the social order. A young woman needs an operation to “restore” her virginity. A judge in the Islamic Revolutionary Court exhorts favors from a prostitute in exchange for a favorable ruling. The wife of an imprisoned drug addict is denied the divorce she needs in order to live independently. Making use of rotoscope animation, expat Iranian filmmaker Ali Soozandeh creates a portrait of contemporary Tehran that would be impossible by any other means.
Reviews
“Brisk and bracing. Lays bare the double standards that surround sex in Iran.”
"Engaging and nuanced. Using skillful, involving storytelling and beautifully executed rotoscoped photography, director Ali Soozandeh creates a world of intersecting urban miseries and challenges."
"Striking. Sex, rage, and hypocrisy percolate... throughout every scene."
“A beautifully rotoscoped drama with intertwining stories set against the cognitively dissonant clash of Iran’s strict, theocratic society and the every-day realities of sex, drugs and corruption.”
“A spellbinding animated journey into the underbelly of Iranian society.”
“Visually striking. This wily account of 20-something Iranians negotiating an assault course of laws and prohibitions to get their kicks fizzes with energy and bad behaviour.”
“An audacious debut. Explore[s] the highly charged theme of sexual and personal freedom in Iran without salaciousness.”
“A transgressive explosion. Delivers a stunning penetration into the very disturbed hidden face of daily life in the Iranian capital.”
Awards
Official Selection – Cannes Critics' Week
FIPRESCI Prize - Best debut, Jerusalem Film Festival
Interested in bringing Tehran Taboo to your school or library? If you'd like to have an in-class viewing, on-campus screening, or purchase the DVD for your library's collection, please contact Estelle Grosso at EDU@kinolorber.com or call (212) 629-6880 with your request.
Tehran Taboo may also be available with Public Performance Rights (PPR) and Digital Site Licensing (DSL) for colleges and universities. To purchase the DVD with PPR or DSL, please contact Estelle Grosso at EDU@kinolorber.com or call (212) 629-6880. Click here to learn more at Kino Lorber Edu.
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| Venue | City | State | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver Film Society | Denver | CO | 1545109200December 18 - December 22, 2018 |
| Wexner Center for the Arts | Columbus | OH | 1524715200April 26, 2018 |
| Laemmle Town Center 5 | Encino | CA | 1520571600March 9 - March 15, 2018 |
| Lumiere Cinema | Los Angeles | CA | 1520571600March 9 - March 15, 2018 |
| Real Art Ways | Hartford | CT | 1520571600March 9 - March 15, 2018 |
| The Guild Cinema | Albuquerque | NM | 1520571600March 9 - March 11, 2018 |
| University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (Union Theatre) | Milwaukee | WI | 1520571600March 9 - March 10, 2018 |
| AFI Silver Theatre | Silver Spring | MD | 1520312400March 6, 2018 |
| Varsity Theatre - Davis | Davis | CA | 1519966800March 2 - March 8, 2018 |
| Roxie Theater | San Francisco | CA | 1519966800March 2 - March 8, 2018 |
| Gene Siskel Film Center | Chicago | IL | 1519362000February 23 - March 1, 2018 |
| Museum of Fine Arts, Boston | Boston | MA | 1518757200February 16 - February 28, 2018 |
| Portland International Film Festival | Portland | OR | 1518670800February 15 - March 1, 2018 |
| Film Forum | New York | NY | 1518584400February 14 - February 27, 2018 |
| Spokane International Film Festival | Spokane | WA | 1517893200February 6, 2018 |
| Smithsonian Institution | Washington | D.C. | 1517461200February 1, 2018 |
| Museum of Fine Arts, Houston | Houston | TX | 1516424400January 20, 2018 |
| Museum of Fine Arts, Boston | Boston | MA | 1515646800January 11 - January 12, 2018 |
| Palm Springs International Animation Festival | Palm Springs | CA | 1510376400November 11, 2017 |
| Virginia Film Festival | Charlottesville | VA | 1510203600November 9, 2017 |
| Vancouver Int'l Film Festival | Vancouver | BC | 1506657600September 29, 2017 |
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