CARTE GHERMEZ (THE RED CARD)

In 2002, an Iranian woman called Shahla Jahed stood accused of murdering the wife of her lover, famous soccer player Nasser Mohammed Khani. The story of this illicit affair and the news surrounding the subsequent trial made this one of the largest media events in Iran. TV talk shows were devoted to Shahla, and what was considered her 'syndrome': falling in love with a celebrity.

We see excerpts from the many articles and TV shows, as well as home movies Shahla shot of Nasser. But the most striking part of the film is the trial itself, one of the most complicated and controversial in Iran's history.  As a woman, Shahla officially has few rights within the legal system, but the way in which she presents her own defence makes this hard to believe. She categorically denies any involvement, maintaining that her confession was forced and keeps interrupting the judge. Director Mahnaz Afzali was not only able to film the court sessions, but also managed to elicit frank confessions which cross the deepest taboos of this society.