AIDS, IRAN 2004, THE LOVERS : THE VICTIMS (EYDZ, IRAN 1383)

37 minutes to unveil a taboo in Iranian society. AIDS doesn't officially exist in Iran however the virus is spreading at a meteoric rate, more than three times faster than the birth-rate. The number of unreported cases is estimated at around 45,000. First-hand accounts by tramps, drug addicts, prostitutes, doctors and pharmacists underlined by statistics challenge the hypocritical and sometimes false official statements by revealing the ruthless reality. In ingenious and original interview sequences, people from a range of social classes feeling protected by the confinement of a car discuss in a surprisingly open manner such questions as whether brothels should be allowed again or whether a homosexual can be a politician. In Iran, nearly everyone would be too embarrassed to buy condoms in a pharmacy, sex education at school is unthinkable and, officially, drug addicts and prostitutes don't exist. Most shockingly, people with AIDS are not considered as patients but as criminals. 8,000 of them are stuck in a prison, which was originally designed for 1,000 people. According to Islamic law, people infected by AIDS must have committed some sort of crime, be it taking drugs, having sex outside marriage or even being gay. EYDZ is an impressively courageous and very sincere film that confronts Iranian society with its taboos.

Award: Honorable Mention, EBS International Documentary Festival, South Korea 2004