What becomes of a society where the citizens are forced to abide by a strict religious code, to which they may or may not ascribe, imposed on them by Islamic fundamentalists? That is the central question addressed in the 2017 animated film TEHRAN TABOO. The sexual repression of modern day Iran and the misery that ensues comes under scrutiny in this film which is another recent example of the compelling filmmaking coming from Persian filmmakers in recent years.

To understand the film in its proper context, it helps to know something about the history of Iran. In 1979, Iran underwent a violent revolution which deposed of the American-supported monarch THE SHAW and installed the AYATOLLAH KHOMEINI. After the Shah was forced into exile, the Ayatollah took over and imposed an Islamic Republic with a strict religious law which included a dress code for women. Women were required to cover their hair, and men and women both were forbidden to swim or sunbathe together. Recognizing the power of cinema, the Ayatollah banned Western movies from Iran.

The history of women’s rights in Iran is a complicated one, but for many women the ascension of the Ayatollah as the Supreme Leader must have felt like their decline. Imagine the experience of one day enjoying the freedom of choosing what to wear to school or work and then suddenly being forced to wear a veil whenever you left the confines of your home. That was the harsh reality women faced living in Iran after the revolution.

Tehran Taboo depicts the lives of young people trying to cope within this restrictive environment. The film focuses on the personal lives of three young Iranian women and one male character. By capturing their struggle to survive under strict religious laws the film shows how impossible it is for anyone to thrive under such a suffocating and oppressive system.

In one storyline, a woman is forced into prostitution thanks to an incarcerated drug-addicted husband who won’t grant her “permission” for a divorce. We later see the sexual exploitation she endures at the hands of a judge from the Islamic Court. In a related story, her pregnant neighbor wishes to return to work but is unable to do so because her husband won’t allow it. To be balanced and show that men also suffer under these horrifying conditions, another storyline involving the sole male lead, a male musician, has sex with a woman at a club. After, he and the woman are forced to raise money for an illegal operation to restore her virginity for an impending marriage since it is expected of Iranian women to be virgins when they marry. This leads them to explore the sleazy underworld of illegal “medical” options. The screenplay intersects these stories in a way that feels organic and authentic.

Patriarchy, by its very definition, disempowers women. But men also suffer from this outdated model of gender. In one of the most disturbing images from Tehran Taboo, three men are hung for violating the Islamic state, and their bodies are displayed for all to see. No one is safe from an out of control patriarchy that resorts to violence to keep its victims in line.

Given Iran’s strict censorship laws, Tehran Taboo could not be filmed there. This forced the director ALI SOOSANDEH to use a form of animation called rotoscope since Soozandeh felt it would be problematic to have a background that did not closely resemble Tehran. The rotoscoping process allowed him to insert details unique to Tehran after filming was complete. The result is a film that is both gritty and aesthetically striking. The animation has a neon, colorful feel which gives the film an added vibrancy. The actor’s faces take on an almost otherwordly quality which only adds to the poignancy of their performances.

A new feminist movement is dawning worldwide, evidenced by the large rallies with calls for political action by and for women. Whether it has any impact on Iran and its leaders remains to be seen, but certainly in the United States there is a social awakening. The same censorship laws that prevented the film from being shot there also prevented it from being shown in Iran. One can only hope that Iran has a thriving black market of films on DVD and that Tehran Taboo would be included in such a market. This film exposes the moral rot that often lies at the center of the patriarchy. And exposing such a dysfunctional system is the first step required to eradicating it.

~Amy