‘A Separation’ gives a glimpse into Iranian life
The outrageous proclamations of president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his subsequent tumble from power are what many people associate with the country of Iran.
But a new film by Iranian director Asghar Farhadith reveals an interesting insight into domestic life in the country. Set in Tehran, A Separation focuses on a middle-class couple who are amidst the process of separation and are arguing over the custody of their 11-year-old daughter. When the husband, Nader, hires a lower-class woman (who is also pregnant) to care for his elderly father with Alzheimer’s, conflict begins to arise due to her deeply religious faith and unemployed, emotionally unstable, husband. A chain of events lead to the woman’s miscarriage, for which she and her husband hold Nader responsible, and a fascinating study of morals, religion and social-class structure results.
The winner of the 2012 Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, and the Golden Bear for Best Film at the recent Berlin Film Festival, A Separation is an engrossing, raw depiction of domestic and moral dilemmas that, while may leave many questions unanswered, is well worth seeing.
A Separation is currently screening at Palace Centro Cinemas.
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