Story
December 2, 2024
Opinion: For Iranian Women, Can a Revolution Take Place at Home?
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Project
'A Move'
"A Move" follows an Iranian filmmaker who stopped wearing a hijab.
Inspired by the movement for women’s rights in Iran, filmmaker Elahe Esmaili returns to her hometown to start her own resistance.
In the wake of the Woman, Life, Freedom movement, one of the most significant political uprisings in Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution, Iranian society experienced a period of upheaval. The movement began in 2022 when Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman accused of disobeying the hijab law, died after being arrested by the morality police. Many Iranians supported the protesters, who called for greater freedom for women and the end of compulsory veiling; the regime responded with brutal crackdowns.
I grew up in a family where women are compelled to wear the hijab — even at intimate gatherings — because of pressure from our more religious family members. I respect their beliefs, but forcing them on the entire family felt like a type of authoritarianism that mirrored the strict rule of the theocratic regime. When the protests erupted, it was important for me to take a stand among my family.
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The Iranian regime and other authoritarian leaders benefit from pitting religious and nonreligious people against each other, leading them to believe that peaceful coexistence is not possible. In this short documentary, “A Move,” I wanted to show how resistance rooted in love and respect can lead to understanding; how there is room for disagreement and nuance without violent confrontation or alienation from “the other side.”
I have been inspired by women fighting for their rights around the world, and I made this film to encourage others to not succumb to pressure if their freedom of choice has been taken away, even if it’s by their loved ones. I hope everyone around the world gains more understanding about the importance of coexistence and refraining from imposing our beliefs on one another.
