In a society where women are shunned and any semblance of freedom or independence seems unattainable, some are pushed to a breaking point in their own families, leading to murders of husbands, brothers, and other male family members. Mehrdad Oskouei’s new acclaimed Iran-set documentary Sunless Shadows takes an intimate look at the women––specifically teenage girls––who are serving time in a juvenile detention center.
A direct follow-up to his 2016 film Starless Dreams, he takes a confessional approach as he allows his subjects to go into a room alone and push a red button on the camera and address their accomplices or their victims. As one can see in the first trailer––which we’re pleased to exclusively premiere courtesy of Cinema Guild ahead of an August 5 premiere in the Museum of Moving Image’s Virtual Cinema, followed by a national rollout––it presents an emotional, harrowing conceit to get the deeper truth of these damaged souls that are crying out for a better life.
See the exclusive trailer and poster below for the Best Directing winner at IDFA and official selection at True/False and MoMA’s Doc Fortnight.
Sunless Shadows premieres on August 5 in the Museum of Moving Image’s Virtual Cinema, followed by a national rollout. See more info here.