THE CIRCLE
DAYEREH



Iran-Italy, 2000, 91 min, color

A woman has just given birth to a baby girl. Little does she know that she and her daughter are already unwanted… Three women are released from prison on a temporary leave. The need for money with which to run away will lead them to desperate measures… Lacking proper identification and a travelling companion, a young woman must plead and lie just to buy an out-of-town bus ticket… An unmarried woman escapes from jail in order to have an abortion and is rejected from her father's house by the violent threats of her brothers… Their crimes are vague, their guilt or innocence unimportant. Their paths will cross, their destinies are often too tragically similar.

"Made in the realist tradition, the film turns against the cruel system which puts all women under constant surveillance. The director creates an incredible rhythm as the camera follows these women's restless movement. Compassionate in its execution, and horrifying in its conclusion -- this is radical cinema at its most vehement."