Facing Mirrors (2011)

Rana has chosen a path in order to support her family, while Adineh (Eddie) has fled his home and city to escape his complicated situation as a transsexual man prevented from living as his ... See full summary »

Director:

Negar Azarbayjani

Writers:

Negar Azarbayjani, Fereshteh Taerpoor (as Fereshteh Taerpour)

Stars:

Shayesteh Irani, Ghazal Shakeri, Homayoun Ershadi

8 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Shayesteh Irani	...	Adineh (Edi) Tolooyi
Ghazal Shakeri	...	Rana (as Qazal Shakeri)
Homayoun Ershadi	...	Mr. Tolooyi
Maryam Boubani	...	Akram (as Maryam Boobani)
Nima Shahrokh Shahi	...	Emad Tolooyi
Saber Abar	...	Sadegh (as Saber Abbar)
Hengameh Ghaziani
Rabe'e Oskooyi	...	Nurse
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Turaj Mansuri	...	(as Touraj Mansoori)

Storyline

Rana has chosen a path in order to support her family, while Adineh (Eddie) has fled his home and city to escape his complicated situation as a transsexual man prevented from living as his true self by his family. They find themselves on the same journey and caused to know each other in a better way.

---

Plot Keywords:

escape | transsexual | trans | forced marriage | arranged marriage | 

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Did You Know?

Trivia

Negar Azarbayjani's directorial film debut.

User Reviews

Being a woman is hard enough. Being transgendered is harder.

The Iranian film Aynehaye Rooberoo was shown in the United States with the title "Facing Mirrors" (2011). The movie was co-written and directed by Negar Azarbayjani.

As we know, being female in Iran imposes certain cultural and legal restrictions. Rana (Qazal Shakeri) must work as a taxi driver to support herself and her child. (Her husband is in what appears to be a debtor's prison--the victim of a swindle.) Although a woman driving a taxi isn't illegal, it's considered highly dangerous and unsuitable. Rana isn't happy about her profession either, but she does what she has to do.

Adineh (Eddie), played by Shayesteh Irani, is transgendered. He/she can pass as a man, but needs a passport to get out of Iran and into Germany in order to have the surgery that's required. That in itself would not be impossible, but Eddie's family insists that she's a woman, must remain a woman, and must marry her cousin. The plot of the story involves the interaction of the two lead protagonists, and the interaction of each of them with family and society.

This movie is somewhat painful to watch, because both protagonists have such a difficult, uphill struggle with forces that they can't control. They simply cannot meet their difficulties head on, but rather must twist and turn to accomplish their goals. And, of course, the threat of direct, brutal, physical force is always hovering near them.

Just as a warning, I was confused about what was happening for the first ten minutes or so of this film. However, once the situation clarified, I found the movie compelling and riveting. It's definitely worth seeking out and seeing.

We saw this film at the Dryden Theatre, as part of the very impressive ImageOut--the Rochester LGBT Film & Video Festival.

Details

Official Sites:

IMVBox.com sourehcinema

Country:

Iran

Language:

Persian German

Release Date:

24 October 2012 (Iran)

Also Known As:

Eine iranische Frau

Filming Locations:

Tehran, Iran

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1