A tale of “temporary marriage”—a ritual in Islamic countries—this box-office hit from Iran offers insight into that country’s contemporary attitude toward relationships and marriage. Small-town factory manager Mahmoud travels to Tehran to visit his injured partner. There he meets and falls for Sima, a modern Iranian woman who is much different than Mahmoud’s servile wife. He asks Sima to join him in a “temporary marriage,” but the relationship does not turn out like he envisions.

Director Behrooz Afkhami—who is also a member of the Iranian Parliament—delivers a suspenseful story as well as a telling portrait of Iran’s upper middle class.

“…subtle, provocative and elegant….”
–Gregory Weinkauf, NEW TIMES

“Askhami builds considerable tension that amplifies this mystery of the human heart.”
-Robert Koehler, VARIETY

“…to a great extent an adaptation of the mid-80s Hollywood blockbuster Fatal Attraction.”
–BAD JENS: IRANIAN FEMINIST NEWSLETTER

Directed by Behrooz Afkhami. With Hedieh Tehrani, Fariborz Arab-Nia, Rozita Ghafari, and Hamid Afshar. Written by Minoo Farshchi and Behrooz Afkhami. Cinematography by Nemat Haghighi. Edited by Mohammad Reza Mouyini and Mehrzad Minooi. Original music by Seyed Mohammad Mirzamani. Produced by Seyyed Zia Hashemi
Iran/2000/Color/Widescreen/110 mins. In Persian with English subtitles.
Special Features: Biography of Director, Original Trailer, Scene Selection