Starless Dreams

This entry in Mehrdad Oskouei's trilogy on youth in Iran's justice system—following It's Always Late for Freedom (2007) and The Last Days of Winter (2011)—focuses on teenage girls at a rehabilitation and correction center. This facility looks nothing like the stereotypical Iranian prison: the girls enjoy pizza parties, play Truth or Dare, and engage in snowball fights. Indeed, at times the place has the atmosphere of a happy sorority rather than a hijab-clad version of Orange Is the New Black. But once Oskouei begins to show the girls being interviewed about the circumstances that led to their incarceration, the mood turns more somber. Some are mildly elusive in recalling how they wound up arrested, while others bluntly describe their circumstances. One girl insists on being called 651, a reference to the grams of cocaine that she was found transporting at the time of her apprehension by police. Nearly all of the interviewees acknowledge harassment at various levels by male relatives, and one is so distraught by the chaos and violence in her life that she wonders if death is a more agreeable solution to her woes. Starless Dreams captures a surprising level of sensitivity on the part of Iranian officials, although it is hard to assess how much of this occurs strictly for the benefit of the camera. Providing a remarkable view of a rarely-seen corner of Iranian society, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)