When I saw this movie I had planned another movie right after it. But that movie I can't even remember so had this movie entered my mind. It blew me away. The story is complex and tells the fall of the Irian democracy due the commercial interests of the west (oil companies) and their support to the Sjah. Several different story lines of woman tell the story of the time, not always in a direct way. The film is full of symbols and metaphors, some simple (like the girl who's physical state represent the state of the country) some very complex and not understandable without some knowledge of the Irianian culture. And all these stories mix and come together one way or anotherCombined with the visual aesthetics the movie feels like a dream

Great story, being a Persian, I always heard about the Coup but I could never picture how was it like living at that time, and Shirin Neshat in the best way possible combined it with a love story. Munes wants to be knowledgeable about social and sexual matters (in the film she wants to be a political activist); Faezeh is a traditional Muslim woman who wants a good marriage; Zarin Kolah is a prostitute dreaming of a better future, and Farok-Lagha is a wealthy woman determined to become an influential figure on the political scene. All four end up in a house with a garden in a Tehran suburb, striving for a future that was not granted to them. Gardens are popular in the middle East and especially in Iran, where a garden is a metaphor for paradise.

bad movies are just bad,cause they are nit done well, have no scripts, or terrible actors, lighting is wrong and above all director is just far off the line of what movie making is all about. this terribly bad film has it all in it. and all that shows how invaluable, stupid, and worthlessness all world festivals are all together to get all these stupid films merits and awards. man i was almost wet in my pants as it went on every 10 minutes. bad movie from a good artist, but hell who said all artists should make films. this one is out of pure complexions from an artist who wants to be taken seriously as an director. sorry girl, you have miles to go to get there . go back to your art

Women Without Men (2009) is an Iranian film whose original title is Zanan-e bedun-e mardan. It was directed by Shirin Neshat and Shoja Azari. The title "Women Without Men" is misleading, because the women are only "without" men because they are able temporarily to escape from the men in their lives by moving to a rural estate.The movie takes place in 1953, when the CIA helped overthrow the democratic government of Iran and put the Shah into power. Some of the women are running from government oppression, and some of them are running from the oppression of the men in their lives. The women in the film had few acceptable options--probably an accurate reflection of the lives of women in Iran during this period. It's a grim situation, and it's depicted in a grim film. I don't have the expertise to know how faithful the film is to the novel on which it's based, or to the reality of events in 1950's Iraq. That information will have to come from an expert. (My guess is that the portrayal of women's lives is pretty accurate.)This is a powerful film. We saw it at the excellent Rochester 360-365 film festival--dumb name but great festival. There's enough in this film to make it worth seeing, but, in my opinion, not enough to warrant seeking it out at all costs. It should work well on a small screen.