TEHRAN – Fourteen movies from Iran are competing in the 5th International Women Filmmakers Festival underway in the Turkish city of Izmir.

“A Poetess”, “Dish”, “Emergency”, “Iron Deficiency” and “Regolith” are among the highlights of the lineup.

“A Poetess”, co-directed by Sahra Fathi and Saeid Dashti, follows Sara who is facing a dilemma between choosing the abortion of her child and immigration, or staying in her homeland. By realizing the truth about her husband, she makes up her mind and plans for a new future.

Directed by Rana Vaezi, “Dish” tells the story of an old woman who lives alone in an apartment house and her only hobby is satellite TV and its serials. One night, the police collect the satellite dishes on the building where the old woman lives. She tries to save her satellite dish from the police.

“Emergency” is about Nazanin, a seven-year-old girl, who is trying to reveal a secret that bothers her by getting close to the emergency agent who has come to their house to check on her mother.

Directed by Maryam Esmikhani, the film won an audience award at the Iran Fest in Forli, Italy last December.

In “Iron Deficiency”, after the sudden suicide of Aban’s mother, she finds it unbearable to remain in this dilemma she used to call home. On the day of the funeral, Aban decides to leave for an unspecified destination on a journey where her insight gradually aligns with several seemingly destined empirical encounters. While she explores the city, meets different kinds of people and gets to know part of their stories, she walks in solitude and gets lost in the crowd, growing a vivid imagination about her mother’s last days of life. Something previously twisted, a force entrapped within, is starting to unravel.

The film has been directed by Azadeh Abadpur.

In “Regolith”, director Saleheh Mortezania focuses on the monotonous world of a struggling single woman who starts cracking when a man throws stones at her window, bringing her to the verge of making a drastic change.

“Ashes” by Saeideh Dalirian, “Doll Story” by Shakila Samavati, “For What Sin?” by Maryam Ebrahimvand, “Gone Men’s Bride” by Robabeh Ruhi, “Good Girl” by Raheleh Karami, “Matryoshka” by Yalda Zadvan, “Pass” by Elika Abdollahi, “The Savior” by Soheila Purmohammadi and “The Third Slaughterhouse” by Sogol Izadifard will also be screened.

Iranian filmmaker Nerges Abyar received the Director Achievement Award on the opening day of the festival on Sunday.

She is in Izmir to hold several master classes during the festival, which will run until March 8.

Photo: “Emergency” by Maryam Esmikhani.

MMS/YAW