THEMOVIES

The opening scenes reveal much about the protagonist Sara Shaverdi, who repairs a rusty garden gate herself. She thinks and acts with great energy, following her heart rather than depending on others' opinions. She is divorced, lives alone, and rides a motorcycle. The directors followed Sara for eight years. She is an exception in her small, ultra-conservative village in northwestern Iran, where it is customary within the community to marry off girls as young as fourteen. Though Sara regularly faces opposition, she manages to accomplish a great deal. She installs gas pipelines, cultivates agricultural land, teaches girls to ride motorcycles, and urgently encourages young girls to pursue education instead of marriage. Later it emerges that some of the girls married nonetheless. Director Khaki reflects: "Although the community is open to change, it doesn't happen overnight. Life with its accompanying struggles can be seen as a mountain of stones. Each time you chip away at some stones, a path will eventually emerge that you can walk freely upon. That is what Sara does in her village."