Juste une femme

Only one year ago, the Iranian Morvarid was a man – now she is a woman. Before the operation, she cautiously hid her female side from the outside world. Only now does she have the courage to don her chador (the traditional garment for women) and leave her house as a woman. Nevertheless, she is still under great psychological pressure, because in Iran the life of a woman, especially that of one living alone, is not easy. Every moment, Morvarid could be arrested by the Islamic police and risks being subjected to humiliation. Even her own mother, brothers and sisters do not want to see her anymore. This short portrait makes clear that the Iranian society has a double moral standard in the way they regard women and (homo)sexuality. Homosexuality is such a big taboo among the lower classes of Iran that for many homosexual men the only way out is an operation that will turn them into a woman. Moreover, prostitution, a sin according to the Islam, is justified by calling an extramarital affair between a man and woman a ‘temporary marriage’ and the payment a ‘dowry’. In this country full of painful inconsistencies, Morvarid tries to build up a new life and at the same time preserve her faith. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)