"Women In Shroud," a documentary co-produced by RFE/RL Radio Farda broadcaster Mohammad Reza Kazemi, was recognized in February with the Cinema For Peace Award for Justice for promoting humanity through film.
Shot in Tehran, the film focuses on the sometimes arbitrary and subjective nature of the Iranian judicial system and the sentencing policies towards women believed to be guilty of adulterous behavior. "Women in Shroud" highlights the efforts of several women's rights activists and a volunteer lawyer who try to appeal and overturn the death sentences of women who were accused, often without adequate proof, of adultery and sentenced to the death penalty by public stoning.
When asked why he decided to work on this film Kazemi said, "The work of the women activists seemed to me to be very important for the democratization of the whole country. It shows that the Iranian society thinks totally differently than the government. It shows that the young people who grew up in the Islamic Republic and were subject to propaganda in the last 30 years have not accepted the values conveyed by the regime through the educational system and media."
"Women in Shroud" was one of a handful of films judged by a jury of 12, including RAI International's Paolo Balzarro. Established in 2002, The Cinema for Peace organization aims "to promote peace and international understanding through the medium of film." It holds its annual award ceremony during the Berlin International Film Festival.
Check out more from Radio Farda in Farsi or English.
-- Taylor Smoot
Shot in Tehran, the film focuses on the sometimes arbitrary and subjective nature of the Iranian judicial system and the sentencing policies towards women believed to be guilty of adulterous behavior. "Women in Shroud" highlights the efforts of several women's rights activists and a volunteer lawyer who try to appeal and overturn the death sentences of women who were accused, often without adequate proof, of adultery and sentenced to the death penalty by public stoning.
When asked why he decided to work on this film Kazemi said, "The work of the women activists seemed to me to be very important for the democratization of the whole country. It shows that the Iranian society thinks totally differently than the government. It shows that the young people who grew up in the Islamic Republic and were subject to propaganda in the last 30 years have not accepted the values conveyed by the regime through the educational system and media."
"Women in Shroud" was one of a handful of films judged by a jury of 12, including RAI International's Paolo Balzarro. Established in 2002, The Cinema for Peace organization aims "to promote peace and international understanding through the medium of film." It holds its annual award ceremony during the Berlin International Film Festival.
Check out more from Radio Farda in Farsi or English.
-- Taylor Smoot