Dayereh (2001)

Genre: Social Drama

Theme: Gender Inequality

Undercurrent: Social Stigma

Language: Persian (from Iran)
Titles: The Circle (English) and Le Cercle (French)

The story is of the wrath faced by 7 women in the Islamic Republic of Iran. This is a story which shows that women are legally and socially abused in Iran in ways that are so many, that the birth of a girl-child is seen as a catastrophe. Life as a woman is dependent on a man's company for as little as to go out or buy a ticket. The story is bleak and grim, just as much as the climax is which strongly shows the world the current state of millions of women in Iran.

This is a more of a guerilla documentary that is made as a collage of linked events all ending in the jail. The story is the center of the picture and it is all there is to talk about. The plight of women is highlighted very well with almost each scene carrying some gag on women. The amount of pressure shown makes us breathless, even to believe of the possibility. Honestly, it is not very far from the plight of women in India - just that the law protects women here in India while the society's perceptions are horrifically very similar. 

Most of the scenes feature noisy roads and busy places, yet women are not secure. There are prostitution, extra-marital relationships, plural marriages, eve-teasing, physical attacks and female foeticide, but the women are helpless against them. Not wearing a hijab, smoking  a cigarette, PDAs and moving unchaperoned are crimes that can get women to see the hard side of law. This goes for girls as young as 13 years. That is the crux of the movie. 

Surprisingly, Iran's girl/boy ratio is 1.03 which is much healthier than most states in India. Also, the number of women pursuing education is higher than the number of men. Strangely though, the job scenario speaks otherwise. Also, women played a crucial role in overthrowing most outdated regimes and have played an active role in revolutions. Iranian women are in general no pushovers but the segregation of beaches, activities, jobs etc. have taken away many opportunities for women. The fact that they follow Islamic law strongly contradicts with the general progress women are making across the world. But when we make a set of some of the most dramatic happenings in a place, they seem way too horrific than what is real. I suspect the same from this movie as this has neither an account of a general life nor an in-depth study of any of the characters in the film. 

Technical departments have worked well to depict a simple and regular state of affairs. The production team must be applauded for their work as each shot was made in broad open roads. This is a tough ask dealing with women and a country with a strong censorship on everything. Performance of lead actors are just believable, as no character stands out due to a very limited portrayal of each. The innocent-faced youngster Nargess Mamizadeh (as Nargess) is the poster girl for the film but struggles to emote. Fatemeh Nagavi's role as the mother is harrowing as her acting is very dramatic and suits the heavy weight of the scene very well - she is the pick of the movie for me.

My favorite scene is that of Pari (by Fareshteh Sadre Orafaee) sitting across in black while her friend Elham sits in white - a contra scene that depicts the two sides of how women are perceived despite them coming from the same background. It also significantly highlights the denial of help to her friend as Elham sits away from Pari who is in dire need of help. Here, Elham is seen to represent the women in mainstream while Pari represents those who are labeled and separated. As Elham asks Pari not to smoke citing that it is a hospital (a way of depicting lack of empathy), a helpless Pari just storms out. 

Every feminist must watch this movie. Please understand that it is written and directed by men, and hence there is a sympathetic angle from where everything starts rather than a direct understanding of fear and oppression. This is like a watcher writing about a deer that is chased by a hunter. Surely, the deer's view of the chase is more authentic but this is all we can get for now. One must be mentally prepared for some grimness to watch this movie.