Under the Skin of the City

Under the Skin of the City offers a heartwarming insight into contemporary Iran, offering hope for the future. The director, who regularly makes documentaries as well as features, does not so much tell a story, as let it unfold using situations, in order to create an incident that could really happen.In the period prior to the parliamentary elections in Iran, Tuba, a hardworking female factory worker with three grownup children, faces several problems. Her pregnant daughter is beaten by her husband, her youngest son is trying to become a politician and her eldest son, Abbas, is trying to get a visa for Japan. He refuses to accept a life of poverty and wants to work abroad to maintain his family. Driven by the need to finance his journey, Abbas becomes involved in the drugs trade, risking his mother’s house and also the safety of the family.The characters in Under the Skin of the City are very realistic and sympathetic. Just as in her previous films (The May Lady was screened in 1999 in Rotterdam) the protagonist has to choose between herself and her family. An inspiring report of the selfless love of a mother for her children.