My Tehran for Sale

Secretly shot in Iran using digital video equipment, Granaz Moussavi's My Tehran for Sale serves up a disturbing look at the subject of free expression, told largely through flashbacks as the main character—a terminally-ill theatrical actress named Marzieh (Marzieh Vafamehr)—recounts her story. Banned from performing by the government, Marzieh is able to find work in Tehran's thriving underground arts scene. During an illegal rave party, she meets Saman (Amir Chegini), an Iranian with Australian citizenship. When the gathering is raided and its participants brutalized by police, Marzieh resolves to leave Iran and reunite with Saman in Australia. She attempts to emigrate through legal channels, but the Iranian system does not encourage female citizens to voluntarily leave the country. When Marzieh finally does reach Australia, she's apprehended as an illegal alien and placed in a situation in which she has even less freedom than she experienced in Iran. My Tehran for Sale offers an intriguing glimpse into the barely seen pockets of artistic and emotional rebellion in the Iranian capital, while Vafamehr delivers an astonishing performance (she actually wound up serving prison time for appearing in this film) as a person at war with her culture. Recommended. (P. Hall)