In the early years following the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Saddam Hussein violated the treaty signed with the previous Iranian government and launched an invasion, driven by a desire to access open waters. The Iranian people have historically demonstrated that when facing foreign aggression, they set aside internal disagreements and unite to defend their homeland.
However, the film portrays the war as a concern exclusive to hardline conservatives, implying that intellectuals, such as university students, are detached from that reality. At one point, a student who has returned from the front line sets himself on fire in the middle of class, claiming he was deceived.
But deceived by what? He went to war to defend his country against an aggressor-an Iraq that initiated the conflict. Where is the deception in that?
The film also shows women being flogged for having romantic or sexual relations with men. In reality, no woman is flogged merely for not being a virgin or for being in a gathering with men. Such punishments, when they occur, require legal evidence and a judge's order.
I was born and raised during the early years of the Revolution. I witnessed the limitations and have, on occasion, even been assaulted by religious hardliners. I lived that reality. I know that era of Iranian society. So I consider myself qualified to reject this film's portrayal.
The film is highly exaggerated. It portrays women as the primary victims, whereas in truth, restrictions applied to both men and women alike. The depiction of religious extremism on campus, forced confessions, and fabricated punishments is misleading and overstated.
In one scene, a woman nostalgically remembers a time when shops were open, contrasting it with a present where cafes and bookstores are shuttered, presenting the country as desolate and dark. This is simply false. Even during the war-and especially after-it's well known that the development and growth which had begun during the Pahlavi era continued and still does.
This film is no different from the biased Instagram or YouTube videos where a content creator, driven by a specific agenda, tries to paint Iran in an unfairly negative light and portray it as backward.
