TEHRAN TABOO

From Cannes, this stunning, boundary-pushing new Iranian animation tackles the sexual taboos of Islamic society, revealing a world of hypocrisy and political corruption.

Pulling back the veil on a little-seen slice of Iranian street culture, this visually powerful animated feature follows the intersecting lives of three women – a sex worker, a trapped wife and a struggling musician – as they grapple with the double standards of sex, gender and religion in Tehran's politically oppressive atmosphere.

Making his feature film debut, Iranian-born, Germany-based director Ali Soozandeh weaves a provocative tapestry of life in the city, questioning the hypocrisy and political corruption of life in Tehran, where women are often victims of sexual repression. In the vein of Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis, it's a bold, accomplished work, using the abstraction of animation to expose harder truths about contemporary Iran.

'An audacious debut.' – Hollywood Reporter