Women Without Men

by Shoja Azari, Shoja Azari, Eleanor Heartney

"Women Without Men" is renowned visual artist Shirin Neshat's feature-film debut. Its exquisitely crafted view of the artist's native Iran during its tumultuous British and American-backed coup d'état in 1953 won Neshat the Silver Lion at the 2009 Venice International Film Festival. Adapted from the novel by Iranian author Shahrnush Parsipur, the film draws together the initially separate stories of five female characters during those traumatic days. With a camera that floats sedately through the lives of the women and the countryside of Iran, Neshat explores the political and psychological dimensions of her characters as they converge in a metaphorical orchard. This volume unites stills from the series of five video installations that originated the film with photographs and texts by critic Eleanor Heartney, Parsipur and the artist.

Genres: Feminism, Iran

120 pages, Paperback

First published May 31, 2011

Reviews

[Abbey Moores · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short read, very well described and highlights the stories of 5 Iranian women who meet in garden.

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

These short stories are related to one another but stand separately. They follow the film by Shirin Neshat (exhibit at the DIA 2013). Iranian myths are beautiful, but do express the suppression of women.

The stories involve a prostitute - who in the book is always happy, although she does leave the brothel and scrubs herself raw.

a wealthy middle-aged housewife and a schoolteacher.

[Mckinley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book based on video.