Born
Under Libra, directed by Ahmad Reza Darvish, is the
latest of several films from Iran that focus on the absurdity
of Khomeni-era restrictions in general and the plight of women
in particular. Mahtab Peyman (played by Mitra Hajjar) attends
a distinguished private university in Tehran where her authoritarian
father is a prominent administrator. When he learns that she
has a boyfriend, Danial Moshtaq (played by Mohammad Reza Foroutan),
her father is so angry that he pushes through a regulation
that men and women should attend different classes on the
same campus. Students, in turn, protest the sudden sex segregation,
which they learn is due to an unsubstantiated rumor that at
least one male student has been fraternizing with one female
student. Soon, the students organize a protest, with Mahtab
eloquent in defying the authorities. However, Danial admits
to the indiscretion and meets her father, who in turn slaps
his face and orders his expulsion. After the student protest,
Mahtab has a flat tire, so Danial assists. While he is changing
tires for her, his briefcase is stolen by two boys on a motorbike,
so he chases the boys in Mahtab’s car, and ultimately
the two boys are seriously wounded. Police bring the two boys,
Danial, and Mahtab to the police station, but soon her father
arrives to bail out Danial and Mahtab, after which he slaps
her face. At this point Danial and Mahtab decide to escape
together to the south. At one point in their journey torrential
rain causes a flash flood, and they are carried out to sea,
landing at a deserted but fortified island containing many
mines. In due course Danial dies from an exploding mine, and
Mahtab finds her way back to Tehran after telling him that
her Zodiac sign is Libra (the sign of someone who seeks social
justice). Of course, the island of mines symbolizes the country,
where a minefield of social regulations is destroying Iranians
psychologically. As a film that raises issues about government
control of society, the Political Film Society has nominated
Born Under Libra for an award as best film on
human rights and best film exposé for the year 2001.
MH
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