111 Girls

Evoking memories of classic Iranian road movies, this film takes us to Iranian Kurdistan. Donyadid, an official envoy, is on his way to a remote and partly depopulated area. He has taken little Shirkou with him as a guide and interpreter. His striking mission has an urgent deadline. Namely, 111 Kurdish girls have written a letter to the president in which they describe a very major problem. There are hardly any men left in the area, so they have to go through life unmarried. All are threatening to commit suicide collectively in four days' time by jumping into a ravine.
Their travelling companions and the people they meet on the way illustrate the plethora of ethnic groups and religions. It gives a picture of the specific region, but also a cross-section of Iranian society.
Nahid Ghobadi, herself Kurdish, tells an ambitious and committed story, but does so lightly and occasionally even comically.