Divorce Iranian Style

1998. Great Britain. Directed by Kim Longinotto, Ziba Mir-Hosseini. Along with Mir-Hosseini, author of Marriage on Trial: A Study of Islamic Family Law, Longinotto was granted permission to film in one Tehran divorce court over several weeks. Their camera provides a transparent window into the customs surrounding Iranian divorce—an outcome that is discouraged by the court no matter the circumstances. Alternately humorous, tragic, and emotionally stirring, the film follows couples and their extended families as they strive to arrive at a solution amid biased laws, contradictory administrative policies, and harsh cultural restrictions. 80 min.