Marzieh Vafamehr was sentenced to 90 lashes and one year in prison this Saturday, following her starring role in My Tehran For Sale,which cast her native country of Iran in a “negative light.”
Covertly filmed in 2009 in Iran and produced in Australia, My Tehran For Sale premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film is largely based on Vafamehr’s own life and struggle as a theatre artist in Iran. Indeed, her character (the protagonist of the film) is arrested and beaten for behavior considered “too Western” and banned from all theatrical endeavors. Vafamehr now faces a similar charge to the character she portrayed.
In the film, Vafamehr’s character is depicted with a shaved head and without a hijab (the traditional Islamic head-scarf that covers the head and neck) and engaging in drug use. These aspects of the film caused it to be banned before its release in Iran, but Vafamehr was arrested this July after illegal copies of the film were found to be circulating. By sentencing Vafamehr to 90 lashes and a year in prison, the Iranian government has effectively proved the point of My Tehran For Sale, rather than quashing what they perceive as anti-Islamic propaganda.
Whether knowingly or not, Vafamehr has made close to the ultimate artistic sacrifice, risking her life for her art, to portray– as the trailer for the film reads–“The voice of an unheard generation.” It is my hope that this beautiful contribution will not go unnoticed, that Vafamehr’s voice will not go unheard.
Marzieh Vafamehr in "My Tehran For Sale."
