The Glass House
African Premiere
Iran/United States, 2008, 92 mins, Subtitles
Director: Hamid Rahmanian
The Glass House follows four girls determined to pull themselves out of the margins by attending a one-of-a-kind rehabilitation facility.
The Omid e Mehr centre, situated in uptown Tehran, was founded by Iranian expatriate Marjaneh Halati to empower disadvantaged young women with the life skills they need to manage independence. Many of the teens previously spent time in jails, hospitals or state homes before becoming wards of the centre.
Sussan is 20 years old and suffers from memory loss and a stutter as a result of a blow to the head either from her sigheh (temporary husband) or her abusive brother. Mitra is learning how to avoid confrontation with her father, who takes out his frustration on her.
Nazila (19) finds an outlet for her anguish by recording as a rap singer, which is forbidden by Iranian law and frowned upon by society.
The young women see Marjaneh as both a mother figure and a mentor and cherish her frequent visits from London
The girls take viewers on a never-before-seen tour of the underclass of Iran with their brave and defiant stories. United by their desperate need for freedom, they are offered precious breathing space by the centre; a golden opportunity within a suffocating society. But can the Glass House save the girls from their fate?