Divorce Iranian Style (1998) User Reviews

A must-see, if you can find it.

[robwill · 8/10 · 31 March 2001]

This is a very pure documentary about the divorce process in Iran made by a British film crew. It follows one couple fairly closely through formal proceedings and family arbitration, and records the court appearances of several others, as well as talking with court employees. The filmmakers interfere very little with the events they record, and include long unedited segments that create a very realistic feel.

I can understand mack-33's reservations. People who has no background knowledge of Islam or the Middle East will find much of the film rather shocking, and may make rather harsh judgments. However, the filmmakers obviously intend to disturb their western audience, and successfully demonstrate the anachronistic inequalities that persist in modern Iran.

One of the major problems surrounding "Divorce Iranian Style" is getting the film at all. I was only able to see it because of an excellent class, and my professor went to great lengths to borrow a copy. If you have the opportunity to see this film, take it, because you likely will not have another.

An Absolute "Must See" to Learn About Iranian Women

[cabiria-3 · 10/10 · 19 April 2009]

First, I have to say that if I got to see a large number of documentaries out of Iran I might not have rated this as a 10. It's really hard to say, since I DON'T get to see many others.

I found this documentary to be extremely educational and informative and SURPRISING. All my life when I heard about countries where women are forced to wear the long robes and do not have equal rights I assumed that the women in such countries were meek and slavish in personality as well. I was WRONG about that...! I was shocked, bewildered and delighted to see how incredibly FEISTY these women were! Although I disagree vehemently with the religious and political laws that give women less than equal rights, I was given a sense of new hope when I saw that even without the rights I consider they should have these women are NOT without spirit. Sometimes their personalities were downright hilarious to me -- causing me to laugh in shocked surprise! I think this film made me realize perhaps for the first time in my life that just because religions or cultures or governments may try to restrain and train the human spirit, the human spirit yet still bubbles out. I found myself feeling a great fondness for Iranian women. Whereas before seeing this film I felt we would simply not have enough in common to enjoy so much as a dinner together, now I feel certain I would adore to have them over to my house for a dinner party (though I'd need translators to come along as well).

Someone told me once that if it is real art you are changed by it. This film changed me. It's its own unexpected way it is true art!

A daring documentary

[sbekam · 9/10 · 26 August 2003]

I was shocked to see that the authorities who make up these uncivilized rules against women allow filming of these proceedings. It was a relieve though to see some of these women are fighting the system despite the road blocks they face constantly. You can easily see the sense of victory on the face of the woman who came to the court with her two boys, complaining about her husband not coming home and not providing her financial support, once the judge mediated and made the husband obey his wife's conditions. A very good documentary about what goes on behind the closed doors of Iranian divorce courtrooms.

None

[smileysaki · 10/10 · 27 June 2013]

Review: This documentary will make you want to protest for these women wanting to get a divorce. Throughout the film, we see that men have so much power over woman in an Iranian divorce. The women have to defend themselves, give everything they have to the judges. In common cases, the woman give up their "wedding gifts", a some of money gifted to the wives in which many who file for divorce never get, just so they can have their divorce. This documentary focus on several different woman wanting a divorce but this is just a few out of the many. From this documentary I learned that it takes so much time and energy for a woman in Iran wanting a divorce. Also, we see what it is like for woman outside the courts, dress code is shown to be very important. Women are told to take of their makeup because there's too much on. My heart goes out to these judges and the staff who have to sit through and listen to each and every couple that come to the court demanding a divorce. My heart also goes out to the couples wanting a divorce, especially the women because they clearly treated unfairly compared to men. I have to give this documentary 10 stars for showing me what a divorce in Iran is like and how hectic and stressful each situation is with the different arguments involved in different couples.

About the film as shown on t.v. It left me searching for a conclusion of the subjects portrait, it seamed too one sided, perhaps a little more explanation on rule of law might have been more to the point. Fo

[mack-33 · 20 September 1999]

The film is worth seeing. For someone who is not familiar with the Middle- East will enjoy watching this program, but will be bewildered in it's content. My rating for the film is 3