Iran, “The Secret Child” the film for the anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini the Iranian Kurdish woman killed for opposing compulsory hijab

ROMA – “The Secret Child” by Ali Asgari, which will be released in Italian cinemas on 19 September thanks to International Film Club Distribution. The film, which received the patronage of Amnesty International Italiawill be released in theaters on the anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, an Iranian woman who died on September 16, 2022 following her arrest for failure to comply with the law on compulsory veiling.

A story dedicated to contemporary Iran. Presented in the section Panorama al Berlin Film Festival 2022is the second feature film by Iranian director Ali Asgari, who creates a new film dedicated to contemporary Iran and the generation of millennials who inhabit it, fighting for the recognition of their rights in a repressive state, this time starting from the courage of a single mother who will have to resort to extreme measures to hide her illegitimate daughter from her parents. The young protagonist Fereshteh will thus find herself wandering the streets of Tehran in a desperate search for someone who can take care of her two-month-old daughter for a while, bringing out the isolation and subordination of women in a repressive system.

Under the skin of Tehran. Fereshteh’s odyssey takes us under the skin of the Iranian capital, showing us a wonderful portrait of a woman in today’s Iran, and how young women are finding the courage to question the theocratic regime and break away from the patriarchy.

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The plot of the film. Fereshteh studies and works at a printing house in Tehran. What her parents don’t know is that she has a two-month-old illegitimate (according to Iranian law) daughter. When her father and mother announce a surprise visit, Fereshteh must find the child another place to sleep. Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem, but with someone breathing down her neck, the plan becomes difficult. With the help of her quick-witted roommate Atefeh, Fereshteh embarks on an odyssey through the city.