In post-revolution Iran, where women’s rights and freedoms were suppressed, Azar, a bold and inspired teacher, clandestinely gathered seven of her most committed female students to read forbidden Western classics. Despite the grave dangers posed by morality squads and fundamentalists, these women risked everything to find a safe space in Nafisi’s living room where they could speak their minds. As they explore each literary work, the teacher and her students dive deep into their shared social being on the most genuine note. This is a story of bravery, defiance, and the endearing power of literature in the face of oppression.

Starring Golshifteh Farahani (“Pirates of the Caribbean”) and Palme d'Or winner Zar Amir Ebrahimi (“Holy Spider”), “Reading Lolita in Teheran” is a gripping adaptation of Azar Nafisi’s bestselling memoir. It captures the unbreakable spirit of women defying censorship, tyranny, and injustice as they find strength in a world determined to silence them.

Milani Perera