The Red Card

In 2002, an Iranian woman named Shahla Jahed was accused of murdering the wife of her famous lover, the soccer player Nasser Mohammed Khani. The story of this adulterous affair and the news about the murder and subsequent trial made for an enormous media event in Iran. The newspapers couldn't get enough of it, and TV talk shows were devoted to the "syndrome" of this woman, who had fallen in love with a celebrity. In the film, we see flashes from the numerous articles and TV shows, as well as home movies in which Nasser's mistress films him. There's also a segment in which Nasser visits the house where his wife was murdered. But the most important element in the film is the trial - as a woman, Shahla officially has very little say in the Iranian legal system, but the way in which she handles her own defence would make you presume otherwise. She categorically denies any involvement in the murder, maintaining that she was forced into a confession. She contradicts the judge, and while constantly rearranging her chador, she even seems to be flirting with him. (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)