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THE DAY I BECAME A WOMAN

"Concerning Law and Liberty"

What You Need To Know:

THE DAY I BECAME A WOMAN is a light comedy from Iran with mild satirical and dramatic moments. The first-time director, Marzieh (“Marzsha”) Meshkini, shows how the strict Islamic culture in Iran affects three people – a little girl, a young married woman and an elderly grandmother – in three separate stories. It is set on an island off the coast.

THE DAY I BECAME A WOMAN is a little too cryptic at times, but it does seem to have a humanist worldview and a feminist slant. It also seems to contain an anti-capitalist spin. Still, the last shots have a provocative, emotional impact that stay with the viewer in a positive way. Also, the scenes with the little girl are charming. Ultimately, despite the socialist tinge, THE DAY I BECAME A WOMAN does contain a certain moral yearning for liberty. As such, it does not include the kind of licentiousness that American movies often mistake for liberty. Of course, in Jesus Christ, there is true liberty. As James says in James 1:25 of the New Testament, the person who follows Jesus Christ’s “perfect law of liberty . . . shall be blessed in his deed.”

Content:

(H, Fe, Acap, So, FR, B, L, M) Humanist worldview with a feminist spin & an anti-capitalist, perhaps even socialist, message that also rebukes false Islamic religious practices about women which have no basis in the Bible & implicitly rebukes a false Islamic comment that God will not forgive certain minor misdeeds, but movie also includes a moral yearning for liberty &, as such, does not contain the kind of licentiousness that American movies often mistake for liberty; 0 obscenities & 3 mild profanities such as “For God’s sake”; no violence but Islamic men argue vociferously with woman who won’t come home; no sex; no nudity; no alcohol use; no smoking; and, childhood rebellion, such as boys use woman’s property when she disappears for a while, with one boy putting on a wedding dress she had hung on a clothesline.

More Detail:

THE DAY I BECAME A WOMAN is a light comedy from Iran with mild satirical and dramatic moments. Directed by a woman named Marzieh (“Marzsha”) Meshkini, the movie grew out of a small film school started by her husband, who has been working in Iran as a film director himself for more than 14 years. The movie is the wife’s thesis project.

The story of THE DAY I BECAME A WOMAN divides into three segments. It is set on an island off the coast of Iran.

In the first segment, the mother and grandmother of a little girl named Hava keep her from joining her playmate, Hassan. They inform Hava that, since she has turned 9 years old today, she has become a woman. Therefore, she can no longer romp about like the boys anymore. After learning that she was not born until noon, Hava insists they allow her to play one last time. The grandmother gives her permission, but tells Hava that, if she does not come back by noon, God will not forgive her.

In the second segment, a young woman competes in a bicycle race with other women, all of them wearing the black loose dresses which women must wear in a strict Islamic country like Iran. Persistently pursuing her, demanding she give up her profane behavior, are her husband, her in-laws, the local religious leader, and the village elders. They warn her that, if she continues the race, they will all disown her.

The final segment involves an elderly wheelchair-bound woman. She goes to the duty-free stores on the island to use her inheritance to buy all the things she has never been able to have during her life. As her purchases add up, a long retinue of boys follows in her wake, pushing large appliances and some furniture. They unwrap the stuff on the beach. Eventually, they load all of it on wooden platforms atop large storage drums, to ship it out to a large boat drifting along the water. At the end of this sequence, and the end of the movie, little Hava returns to watch forlornly as the elderly woman precariously bobs along the waves with all her new merchandise.

THE DAY I BECAME A WOMAN is a little too cryptic for its own good, perhaps because of the censorship under which Iranian filmmakers must work. Even so, the movie appears to approach its subject matter, the oppressive situation of girls and women in Islamic Iran, with a humanist worldview and a feminist slant. In addition, a weird thing happens when the grandmother disappears for a bit. The boys who brought her new-bought possessions to the beach start using the items. One of the boys puts on a wedding dress that the woman hung from a clothesline. This short sequence in the third segment may not make much sense to many viewers, but perhaps it echoes the children’s playfulness depicted in the first segment.

There also seems to be a slight anti-capitalist spin to the last scene in THE DAY I BECAME A WOMAN, with little Hava watching the elderly woman drift out to sea. Consumer goods and private property are inconsequential compared to the power of nature, the movie may be saying here. Still, this last scene has a provocative, emotional impact that stays with the viewer in a positive way. In a sad, profound sense, Hava is looking at her own possible future as she watches the old woman sitting precariously on one of the makeshift “boats” on the water. The other scenes with Hava in the movie’s first segment, however, are extremely charming. At one point, for example, her playmate, Hassan’s, older sister locks him up in his room to do his homework. Hassan gives Hava some money. Hava uses the money to buy a small sucker. She humorously shares the sucker with Hassan through the bars on his bedroom window.

Ultimately, despite the socialist tinge to its humanist worldview, THE DAY I BECAME A WOMAN does contain a moral yearning for liberty. As such, it does not include the kind of licentiousness that American movies often mistake for liberty. Of course, in Jesus Christ, there is true liberty. As James says in James 1:25 of the New Testament, the person who follows Jesus Christ’s “perfect law of liberty . . . shall be blessed in his deed.” Thus, the Christian concept of law and liberty is far better than that of Islam. It’s especially better than the irrational fundamentalism of atheism and humanist skepticism, which offer nothing to the people of this world other than ultimate despair and meaninglessness. For if God, the Divine, Personal Intelligence of the Bible, does not exist, then there is no rational, transcendental reason for the existence of anything, including liberty, morality, law, or provocative artistic works like THE DAY I BECAME A WOMAN.

Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.


Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.