the color of love
One week each year, Iranians stay out all night. Women abandon legal curfews. Men weep. Communities gather to mourn their saint's death, ask wishes be granted, give thanks for prayers answered. While this week showcases Iran's most restrictive religious elements, it offers openings for this culture's most intimate connections. Using the weeklong Ashura festival as a framework, the film documents the changing face of love and politics in the ancient city of Shiraz. As the older generation performs cathartic rituals, the city's youth are left to their own devices. They spend time cruising the public squares, hoping for a sideways glance or a brief note from a potential lover. The film's 29-year old director investigates the way these shifting mores have surfaced in a culture entrenched in traditional values and how they have been influenced by western culture via satellite television and the Internet. By interviewing different generations of Iranians, Keshavarz attempts to uncover how ideas of love, romance, marriage and sex have evolved in a society where politics and culture are inextricably linked.
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