Press release from Ned & Co Marketing and Publicity
On May 27, independent art-house distributor Accent Films will release THE STONING OF SORAYA M, a contentious and deeply compelling tale that examines the horrific power of mob rule and death by stoning; a practice that ‘officially’ doesn’t exist.
Based on the 1994 book of the same name by the late French-Iranian journalist Freidoune Sahebjam <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freidoune_Sahebjam> , which was banned in Iran, THE STONING OF SORAYA M introduces us to Zahra, a courageous Iranian woman with a terrible secret. When a journalist is temporarily stranded in her village, Zahra risks her life to relate the shocking events that led to the ‘legalized’ murder of her niece, Soraya, falsely accused of adultery by a husband who wished to be rid of her in order to marry a 14 year-old girl. The penalty for such a crime is death by stoning – a barbaric practice condoned by Sharia law, that still prevails in some parts of the world.
Starring Academy Award® nominated actress Shohreh Aghdashloo (HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG) and James Caviezel (THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST), this critically feted film from producer Stephen McEveety whose credits include THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST, WHAT WOMEN WANT, IMMORTAL BELOVED and BRAVEHEART, was runner-up to SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE as Audience Favourite at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival, won the Audience Award at the 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival, Best Actress for Shohreh Aghdashloo at the 2009 Satellite Awards and received the Justice Award for Cinema for Peace at the 2010 Berlin Film Festival.
Deemed too controversial to release in some parts of the world, including the UK, THE STONING OF SORAYA M is a cry for help from the thousands of women who are murdered in cold blood for often bogus ‘crimes of dishonour,’ such as premarital sex, or as in the case of Soraya M, adultery. Horrifically brutal acts against women that include whippings, burnings and beheadings, still take place in many countries. Due to the covert nature of these events, accurate statistics are difficult to obtain, but reports indicate that over the last 15 years, at least 1,000 women have been stoned to death in many countries, including Iran, Nigeria, Somalia, Sudan, Iraq, Unites Arab Emirates, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Indeed, the United Nations estimates that approximately 5,000 women each year have been the victims of so-called ‘honour killings’ in which family members exterminate women who have allegedly brought disgrace upon them.
In an indirectly related incident, renowned Iranian filmmaker, Jafar Panahi, winner of the Golden Lion at Venice and the Silver Bear at Berlin, whose films such as THE CIRCLE and OFFISIDE have shone a light on the plight of Iranian women, was recently arrested at his home in Iran and is currently being held by the authorities. The Iranian government is yet to disclose the reasons behind this action, but has been quick to state that it was not politically motivated, which given Panahi’s long-documented stand against the oppression of women, seems somewhat coincidental. We may be living in the 21st century, but in many countries females are still deprived of basic human rights – a fact that filmmakers such as Panahi and movies such as THE STONING OF SORAYA M are endeavoring to bring to the forefront of global consciousness.
Filmed in a remote hamlet in an undisclosed Arabian country in the Middle East by Cyrus Nowrasteh a respected American-born writer/director of Iranian heritage, THE STONING OF SORAYA M is a must-see for any person with a social conscience and a desire to look beyond the ease of life in a democratic environment that affords equal rights to both men and women.