A film that does not rely solely on a huge marketing budget or an A-list cast can now be seen at Tampa Theatre.
Women Without Men will be shown for the very limited time of Oct. 1 through 4.
Shirin Neshat’s first feature film is a great example of an independent picture that relies mostly on word of mouth as its form of advertisement.
Based on Sharnush Parsipur’s 1989 novel of the same name, the picture had previously opened on just three screens, netting a combined $14,404 revenue and grossing $175,995 as of June 13.
Like other cultural pictures, the filmmaker relied heavily on international funding and ultimately obtained funds from France, Germany and Austria.
Rights for U.S. distribution have been obtained by Indiepix.
I was able to reach Tara Schroeder, the film’s programming director in an email exchange. “We are honored to bring Shirin Neshat’s beautifully evocative film to Tampa Theatre,” she said. “Indie and world cinema features like Women Without Men give us a glimpse into other cultures and sometimes we discover that the people we watch on screen are not so much different from ourselves.”
Neshat, a native Iranian who was born in Qazvin, eventually left Iran to study painting and printmaking at UC Berkeley where she earned her MFA. Her subsequent move to New York exposed her to working with nonprofit art organizations.
In 1990, Neshat moved back to Iran, though she eventually found her way back to New York City.
“I have been alone in [the] USA since I was 17 years old, so I’ve learned to adapt to all lifestyles and people of various cultures. But ultimately, I would say I’ve remained Iranian emotionally and Western rationally,” said Neshat.
The film takes place during the 1953 Iranian coup d’état, the overthrow of then Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh.
It revolves around four different women and their struggles in an unstable country influenced by western culture and government. Women Without Men is not popcorn entertainment though definitely a period piece.
Western audiences have an opportunity with this film to get a glimpse of the tumultuous circumstances many people had to cope with during this time.
Neshat has managed to depict the period with stunning cinematography and with emotionally driving force.
It comes as no surprise that last year, Women Without Men won Venice Film Festival’s Silver Lion for Best Director and was the Official Selection of both the Sundance Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival.
When asked about what hopes she had for the future, Neshat said: “In relation to my work, I hope that I can continue to make feature-length films that are at once a work of art, but also have the power of communicating important social and political issues to all people.
In regards to the state of our world, I hope [the] future will bring peace, particularly when it comes to the conflict between the West and the Muslim world.”
JP Busche can be reached at jbusche@spartans.ut.edu.
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