Culture
Son-Mother by film director Mahnaz Mohammadi
The Iranian film director Mahnaz Mohammadi, mostly known for her documentaries, is in Zurich this week to present her first feature film, Son-Mother. The film is running in the International competition. It is a European Premiere and has not been shown in Iran yet.
In this film a widowed woman is faced with the difficult decision to continue taking care of her 2 children alone, a boy and a girl, or remarry and leaves her son behind. She has not much money and a new husband could give her the stability she needs.
This drama is heartbreaking but unfortunately the reality in Iran. Well off women often continue to take care alone of their children. In an interview at the end of the film Mahnaz Mohammadi confirmed that in her country women have no rights to their own bodies or their own lives. She has been fighting for women´s rights for decades. She plays the role of the mother, Leila, in the film because no other woman wanted to take the role fearing for their lives.
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND – SEPTEMBER 30: Mahnaz Mohammadi and Mahan Nasirineda attend the “Son-Mother” photo call during the 15th Zurich Film Festival at Kino Corso on September 30, 2019 in Zurich, Switzerland. (Photo by Ferda Demir/Getty Images for ZFF)
Not like in Asia families in Iran families don´t help each other much even if they live in the same city because they have to face their own problems. People who help later need help themselves. It becomes a vicious circle, says the translator. Widowed or divorced women are not well considered and have to sacrify their lives. They can´t bring a boy or a daughter to their new husband if he has children of their own. It would not be appropriate if they would start dating.
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND – SEPTEMBER 30: Mahnaz Mohammadi attends the “Son-Mother” photo call during the 15th Zurich Film Festival at Kino Corso on September 30, 2019 in Zurich, Switzerland. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images for ZFF)
In each revolution women tried to fight for their rights but they always end up having less rights afterward. The film director herself, a popular activist ended up many times in jail and had to flee. She explained emotionally that in the last few years she lost family and friends who could not get the medicine they needed due to the sanctions.
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND – SEPTEMBER 30: Mahnaz Mohammadi and Mahan Nasirineda attend the “Son-Mother” photo call during the 15th Zurich Film Festival at Kino Corso on September 30, 2019 in Zurich, Switzerland. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images for ZFF)
On the stage she was accompanied by the young friendly Iranian actor Mahan Nasiri. He loved playing in this film and he learned how to empathize with less privilege families and how difficult it might be to be deaf.
This drama in Farsi with subtitles in German and English will be on the screens again tomorrow at the film podium at 3.15 pm and on Saturday at the Corso at 6 pm.
