Daughters of Malakeh

When his favorite sister announces she is getting married, Sharog Heshmat Manesh sets out for his homeland, Iran, to visit his family, accompanied by his Dutch wife, filmmaker Jet Homoet, and their son. His sister Maryam and her husband-to-be are both over 45 - somewhat old to get married, especially in Iran. Maryam is an independent woman and has her own job and apartment. For a long time she had been the breadwinner in the family. She is only too aware that her situation will not do her any favors on the marriage market. A previous relationship had ended abruptly just before the wedding; this time round, Maryam's demand for a prenuptial agreement almost ruins everything. The main point of contention is the right to divorce, which, according to Iranian law, only applies to the husband. In this film, the making of which requires complete trust between filmmaker and protagonists, we get to see the inner workings of an Iranian family, a world that usually remains invisible to the world outside. The film shows how women in Iran are often stuck between two worlds: outside the house they adhere to the rules of the Islamic state, but inside the veil comes off and it is the women who call the shots.\par