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DAY I BECAME A WOMAN, THE

14.07 - 18.00 Nairi Cinema, Large Hall
2000, Iran, 78 min.

Script: Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Marzieh Meshkini, Dir.: Marzieh Meshkini, Dir. of Phot.: Mohamad Ahmadi, Ebrahim Ghafori, Compos.: Mohamad Reza Darvishi, Prod. Design: Akbar Meshkini, Sound: Abbas Rastegarpour, Behroz Shahamat Edit.: Maysam Makhmalbaf, Shahrzad Pouya, Prod.: Mohsen Makhmalbaf.
Cast: Fatemeh Cherag Akhar, Hassan Nebhan, Shahr Banou Sisizadeh, Ameneh Passand, Shabnam Toloui.

This is the story of women at three stages of life in Iran. The first part centers on a young girl on her ninth birthday who is told that she can no longer play with the boys she had been playing with only the day before because she is now a "woman". Told from the perspective of a nine year old "woman" who does not feel like or know what that label refers to, we see how devastatingly this affects both the girl and the boy with whom she had been friends. The second part is about a young woman who decides to enter a bicycle race against her husband's wishes. As first the husband and then increasing numbers of men from the village ride beside her to convince her to return home, the race begins to symbolize a freedom she desperately wants from the limitations which have been placed on her. Finally, the third part shows us an old woman who has come into some money and is now free to do what she wants. The way she chooses to use this freedom, however, makes one wonder just how free she is.

Awards: 'CinemAvvenire' Award - Best First Film, Isvema Award, UNESCO Award (Venice IFF, 2000), Discovery Award (Toronto IFF, 2000), Best Director (Thessaloniki IFF, 2000), New Currents Award (Pusan IFF, 2000), FIPRESCI Prize (Oslo IFF, 2000), Silver Hugo (Chicago IFF, 2000)
Participation: 13 International Film Festivals

Marziyeh Makhmalbaf (Meshkini)

Born 1969, Tehran, Iran.
She has learned Cinema in Makhmalbaf Film School for 8 years. She was as assistant director and still photographer of Mohsen and Samira Makhmalbaf's films.Her first film The Day I Became a Woman, (a 3-episode story) won a lot of awards from international film festivals. The second film Stray Dogs competed in the best film category at Venice IFF in 2003 and won two international prizes.

Filmography
The Day I Became a Woman(Roozi Ke Zan Shodam, 2000), The Stray Dogs (Sag-haye velgard, 2004).

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Cast:. Lou Castel, Paola Pitagora, Marino Masé, Liliana Gerace, Stefania Troglio, Jeannie McNeil.

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