Asian Cinema Fund

ACF Asian Cinema Fund

Asian Network of Documentary(AND) Fund

2008 Asian Network of Documentary (AND) Fund

LIST Virgin

Category	PUFS Fund
Project	Virgin
Director	Tahereh HASSANZADEH
Country	Iran
Director's Profile	Born in Iran, in 1974, she completed a BS. in MIDWIFERY from the Medical Sciences University and graduated from the filmmaking program at the Iranian Young Cinema Society (IYCS). She has directed several short fiction and documentary films such as [My home is Cloudy](2001), [The Word] (2005), and [I weigh heavy on earth](2006).

Synopsis: How can one question a culture which is deeply entrenched in a nation’s long running traditions? The identity of Iranian girls is overshadowed by their sex and their intellectual potential is overlooked. At times it even gets worse in some situations where women’s capabilities are denied all the way. Here is a society which claims it is marching towards modernism, and democracy is there in full swing. Yet, right here existing civil rights concerning virginity are employed to look down on females. The result is that maidenhead and having sexual intercourse both come at a price for women and torture them. This documentary takes a brief look at efforts by today’s woman in her relentless quest for identity beyond the narrow boundaries or red lines the society has imposed on her. She seeks to break the fences and overstep the boundaries made and recognized by a male dominated society.

Director's Note: This documentary tries to take a look at the question of virginity for Iranian girls and the efforts to carefully maintain an intact hymen before marriage. This film aims to look into the financial and psychological prices Iran’s traditional society pays to retain this tradition and keep it untouched.

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