The Circle (Dayereh) (2000)
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93% of critics liked it
(60 reviews) -
75% of users liked it
(2,191 ratings)
Three Iranian women must contend with a repressive political regime that has placed a stranglehold on nearly every aspect of their lives in this hard-hitting social drama. In a nation where a woman cannot buy a bus ticket out of town or accept a car ride from a man, much less have an abortion,… More Three Iranian women must contend with a repressive political regime that has placed a stranglehold on nearly every aspect of their lives in this hard-hitting social drama. In a nation where a woman cannot buy a bus ticket out of town or accept a car ride from a man, much less have an abortion, it's not difficult for women to find themselves on the wrong side of the law. Arezou (Maryiam Parvin Almani), Nargess (Nargess Mamizadeh), and Pari (Fereshteh Sadr Orafai) are left to fend for themselves after leaving an Iranian penal institution. Arezou and Nargess want to get out of town, but as they try to buy tickets to another city, find they must resort to prostitution to do it. Pari is in even worse straits; she's discovered she's pregnant, but she can't legally obtain an abortion without a husband's permission. Pari searches for help among former cellmates Monir and Elham, both of whom are now unhappily married, while learning just how many desperate women roam the streets of Iran. As one might expect, Dayereh was highly controversial in Iran and was initially banned by the government, though it received a limited release after winning the Golden Lion at the 2000 Venice Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Jafar Panahi
- Written By
- Kambuzia Partovi
- Genres
- Art House & International, Drama
R,
- In Theaters
- May 18, 2001 Limited
- On DVD
- Dec 18, 2001
- Studio
- Winstar Cinema
Critic Reviews
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Gary Dowell, Dallas Morning News
An impressive piece of work, especially considering it was made in a barren artistic climate overseen by a censorious government.
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Eric Harrison, Houston Chronicle
Just like Tomb Raider, it is fiction. It just unfortunately comes a lot closer than the American film to the truth of how its female characters live.
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Desson Thomson, Washington Post
A memorable and devastating indictment of the oppression facing many women in Iran.
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Stephen Hunter, Washington Post
In its brisk way, it's a devastating piece of work, and very brave too.
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Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Profoundly dangerous to the status quo in Iran because it asks us to identify with the plight of women who have done nothing wrong except to be female.
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Cast
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Maryiam Parvin Almani
as Arezou
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Nargess Mamizadeh
as Nargess
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Fereshteh Sadre Orafaei
as Pari
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Monir Arab
as Ticket seller
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Elham Saboktakin
as Nurse
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Fatemeh Naghavi
as Mother
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Mojgan Faramarzi
as Prostitute
- Maryiam Palvin Almani
- Fareshteh Sadr Orfani
- Fereshteh Sadr Orfani
- Mariam Parvin Almani
