Makeup Artist

Before they were married, Mohammed promised Mina that she would be allowed to go to university. But now they’ve got a child and a flock of sheep they need to herd in the mountains. And when Mohammed suddenly starts talking about “traditions,” Mina tearfully confides to director Jafar Najafi that she had already secretly enrolled in a makeup course.

Mina and Gol Mohammed are a good match for each other in many ways, and their disagreements always end with a joke. But as Makeup Artist progresses, the endearing squabbles escalate into an intractable struggle, with their three-year-old son the silent witness in the background. Mina decides that if she’s going to follow her dream, she’s going to have to find a second wife to look after her husband and child.

But even that turns out to be more complicated than expected. Modern ideas clash with ancient traditions and the unyielding will of indomitable mothers in this magnificently shot film set in rural Iran. And to what extent is the camera crew—who have come from the city—actually stoking the fire?

Nominated for the IDFA Award for Best First Feature