Plot Summary

After the fall of the last Shah and the end of the monarchy, Iran is on the brink of a new era. While rushing to the borders, French journalist Freidoune Sahebjam is approached by a woman covered in a black chador, who desperately asks for a meeting with him to disclose the tragic events that led to the cruel, inhumane punishment of her niece Soraya the night before. Reluctant but intrigued, Freidoune begins to record the unspeakable story of the mother of four who was wrongfully accused of adultery in a land where women have no say. Little by little--between malicious gossip and devious plots, false accusations and the machinations of a whole village--Soraya's abusive husband will finally force a unanimous verdict against a woman who defiled Islam and the entire village in the eyes of her family. However, will yesterday's tragic events, ever see the light of day?—Nick Riganas