Description:

Join us for a two-night screening of two leading Iranian films by Director Pouran Derakhshandeh, April 16th & 17th.

Thursday April 16, 7:00 PM

Reception at 6:00 PM, Block Cinema
Drinks and light appetizers provided

Film Screening
Hiss! Dokhtarha faryad nemizanand! (Hush! Girls Don’t Scream!)
(Pouran Derakhshandeh, 2013, Iran, DVD, 104 min.)
FREE Admission

Synopsis:
On her wedding night, Shirin, who seems to be psychologically distressed, murders her building’s doorman. As she is interrogated by the police, and the case gradually unravels, it becomes clear that she suffered sexual abuse in her childhood and her act of homicide was to save another child from being abused. In a society that highly favors family “honor” above anything else, the victim of abuse is not supposed to be heard. Her life is at the mercy of the court and the judicial system. The film won widespread national and international acclaim for daring not only to speak about a taboo subject but also to address issues such as capital punishment in Iran. Derakhshandeh spent three years researching the problem and interviewing hundreds of the victims of pedophilia. Introduced by Northwestern professor and Middle East and North African studies (MENA) program director Brian Edwards.

Q&A with director Pouran Derakhshandeh and film studies professor Hamid Naficy following the screening.