Another indie

Last night Clara invited me to a screening of the new film Offside, which is a narrative about six girls in Iran who try to sneak in to see a qualifying match for the 2006 World Cup. They're caught, arrested, held by soldiers inside the stadium, and face punishment. (Iranian authorities do not allow women to attend soccer matches because men may curse or do other things disrespectful to women). Overall the film has a hopeful vibe, and this sentiment was echoed by Hamid Dabashi, an Iranian author and Columbia University professor who spoke and answered audience questions after the film.

I’m glad I saw this film, though I continue to grapple with cultural differences between America and the Middle East, especially when it comes to women. I grew up with incredibly strong female role models, who are well-educated and have careers. I’ve attended UGA football games since I was a small child. I suppose I take all of this (formal schooling, career, going to athletic events and movies) for granted and it's difficult for me to wrap my head around the concept of "gender apartheid."

This being my 2nd screening in as many weeks, I couldn't help compare the two experiences. The Namesake was a very melancholy film. Most the questions after that screening were light and production-related: "How many days did it take to shoot the film?" Offside is practically a comedy. But interestingly, the questions last night were serious: "How were the girls going to be punished?" and even "Any predictions for the future?" reflecting NYC's concern over the current political tension the Bush administration has created between US and Iran (and plenty of other countries).