Women Without Men

Released Apr 9, 2010

1h 35m

Drama

List

73%

Tomatometer

41 Reviews

52%

Audience Score

500+ Ratings

The streets of Tehran, Iran, are teeming with protesters objecting to the overthrow of the prime minister, but four disparate women have more immediate concerns. Farrokhlagha's (Arita Shahrzad) husband thinks he's entitled to be married to multiple women. Munis (Shabnam Toloui) is a virtual slave to her brother. Faezeh (Pegah Ferydoni) has physical and emotional troubles. And Zarin (Orsolya Tóth) is an unwilling prostitute. Boldly, the women pursue solutions to the problems foisted upon them.

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Critics Consensus

Its reach may exceed its grasp, but Women Without Men's beautiful imagery and quiet elegance will entrance patient viewers.

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Chris Chang

Film Comment Magazine

Neshat's images are startling in their sensual immediacy and aesthetic nuance.

Jun 17, 2013

Full Review

Marjorie Baumgarten

Austin Chronicle

The images are vivid, their meanings much less so.

Rated: 3/5

Oct 8, 2010

Full Review

Cary Darling

Dallas Morning News

Its elegiac mood and chiaroscuro beauty are hard to shake.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 9, 2010

Full Review

Roger Moore

Movie Nation

A great film that's aging well, a work of art that sends the same messages a dozen years after its creation

Rated: 3.5/4

Mar 26, 2021

Full Review

Mattie Lucas

From the Front Row

The true accomplishment here is that Neshat gives voice to the voiceless, and Women Without Men is an impassioned cry for freedom that echoes across generations.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 5, 2019

Full Review

Kaleem Aftab

The List

Although uneven in patches, this is a pertinent work on female resilience, made with an array of images painstakingly constructed for insightful social, political and artistic commentary.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 5, 2018

Full Review

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Audience Member

impressive cinematography

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/08/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Grim statement on women's lives in Iran.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Sometimes it was just too slow, and definitely too hard on its women.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Not the best structured movie I've ever seen... Felt like it was trying to make too many points at the same time. But it was still quite interesting.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Magic realism works surprisingly well alongside "everyday life" in this drama which focuses on the interweaving of four Iranian women in 1953 - the year of the US/British coup d'etat. Complex but approachable, the film deftly tackles feminist, religious and political themes in an assured evocation of period. Excellent performances from the four lead actors.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Well, the imagery was pretty and I am always interested in Middle Eastern culture/history, but, boy oh boy, was I confused...

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

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Shirin Neshat

Director

Shoja Azari

Director

Navid Navid

Ali

Mina Azarian

Zinat

Bijan Daneshmand

Abbas

Shabnam Toloui

Munis

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Synopsis

The streets of Tehran, Iran, are teeming with protesters objecting to the overthrow of the prime minister, but four disparate women have more immediate concerns. Farrokhlagha's (Arita Shahrzad) husband thinks he's entitled to be married to multiple women. Munis (Shabnam Toloui) is a virtual slave to her brother. Faezeh (Pegah Ferydoni) has physical and emotional troubles. And Zarin (Orsolya Tóth) is an unwilling prostitute. Boldly, the women pursue solutions to the problems foisted upon them.

Director: Shirin Neshat, Shoja Azari
Screenwriter: Shoja Azari, Steven Henry Madoff, Shirin Neshat
Distributor: Indiepix
Production Co: Essential Filmproduktion GmbH, Rommel Film, Coop99 Filmproduktion
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Persian
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 9, 2010, Limited
Release Date (DVD): Aug 24, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA): $176.0K
Runtime: 1h 35m

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