The Cinematheque

A prominent female athlete battles Iran’s patriarchy in writer-director Soheil Beiraghi’s hot-button second feature, which raised the ire of the country’s hard-liners. Afrooz, the powerhouse captain of Iran’s national women’s futsal (indoor soccer) team, is thrilled to be leading her side to the Asian Cup finals in Malaysia. At the airport, however, she learns that her estranged husband, a TV host, has exercised his legal right to deny her permission to travel, leaving her stranded in Iran. ​“What follows is a gripping odyssey through a legal system and bureaucracy that’s heavily stacked in men’s favour … Baran Kosari is spot-on as the fiercely determined heroine, Leili Rashidi is terrific as her fast-talking advocate, and Amir Jadidi nails it as the reptilian husband … An intelligently written, well-performed, and emotionally rewarding feature” (Richard Kuipers, Variety).