“Women Without Men,” directed by Iranian-born artist Shirin Neshat (who also co-scripted with Shoja Azari, inspired by the novel by Shahrnush Parsipur), is a hypnotic look at four very different women in 1953 Iran whose lives intersect against the CIA-led, British-backed coup that restored the Shah to power.
The suicide of Munis (Shabnam Tolouei), a politically aware 30-year-old desperate to escape her domineering brother, sets the often-dreamlike story into motion.
Despite being buried in the family backyard, Munis is unearthed by her more traditional friend, Faezeh (Pegah Ferydoni) and, it seems, comes back to life.
The “resurrected” Munis brings Faezeh to a bucolic orchard recently purchased by Fakhri (Arita Shahrzad), an attractive, middle-age woman who has just left her loveless marriage and reconnected with an old flame.
Munis then returns to Teh ran, where she and a handsome communist protest the coup, while Fakhri and Faezeh, along with Zarin (Orsi Toth), a troubled prostitute who also finds her way to the orchard, fleetingly form a symbolic family.
Though the narrative could use more depth and detail, the film generally absorbs with its strong performances, stirring emotions and vivid imagery.
“WOMEN WITHOUT MEN.”
Unrated. In Farsi with English subtitles. 1 hour, 40 minutes. Directed by Shirin Neshat; written by Neshat and Shoja Azari, based on the novel by Shahrnush Parsipur; director of photography, Martin Gschlacht; edited by George Cragg. Opens today in area theaters.
