Seven Winters; 34th HRW Film Festival, New York

By Human Rights Watch

In 2007, Reyhaneh Jabbari, 19, is sentenced to death in Iran for the murder of a man who tried to rape her. The efforts her family and supporters undertake open a window into the mass oppression and silencing of women in Iran, and the risks taken by those who defend and support them.

Synopsis

Tehran, July 2007: Reyhaneh Jabarri, 19, has a business meeting with a new client. When he locks her in the apartment and attempts to rape her, she reacts in self-defense by stabbing him. Later that day, she is arrested for murder, and her trial results in a death sentence. Using secretly recorded videos provided by Reyhaneh’s family, their testimonies, and the beautiful, lyrical letters written by Reyhaneh from prison, voiced by Holy Spider actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Seven Winters in Tehran opens a window into the many ways women are oppressed and silenced in Iran, and the immense risks taken by those who defend and support them. This energizing documentary not only highlights the women’s efforts behind this case, but also shows a truly incredible figure in Reyhaneh, who became a symbol of resistance and women’s rights worldwide.

 

FILM DETAILS

Year: 2023
Running Time: 97m
Region: Middle East
Theme: Women’s Rights
Genre: Documentary
Language: Farsi
Accessibility features: This film is offered with English captions and audio description in-person and online.
Content Advisory: This film contains descriptions of rape, sexual enslavement involving a minor, imprisonment, torture, and execution.

 

In-Person Event: Wednesday, May 31, 2023 7:00 — 9:00pm EDT

Location: New York: Film at Lincoln Center’s Walter Reade Theater

For more information, visit the HRW website.

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