Darbare 111 dokhtar

Pain that has been suppressed must one day come right out: the president of Iran receives a petition from 111 Kurdish girls. It demands that the government find them husbands, otherwise they are determined to jump off a cliff en masse. A high-ranking government official named Donyadide sets out for the man-poor region in order to investigate the case, accompanied by an aide and a local youth to serve as guide. They discover that it is not just a gender problem but involves social and political aspects as well. The young women demand respect for their native land as the mother of Turkey, Iran, and Iraq – it has protected these countries for centuries against their enemies. The media gloms onto the scandal, while the authorities offer their own bizarre solution, as does the Turkish army on the other side of the border. Time is running out and it seems that everything has conspired against the official: will he be able to prevent a mass suicide? This visually sophisticated road movie, notable for its dreamlike and magical-realistic elements, is filled with biting irony and reflects a critique of the stereotypical notions of Kurds. (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)