Unveiled
Life is extremely unfair in director Angelina Maccarone'sUnveiled, a movie exposing the flawed logic inherent in Iran's laws against lesbians. In this sad film, Tehranian Fariba Tabrizi (Jasmin Tabatabai) is forced to flee Iran when threatened with the death penalty for loving another woman, and even then she must assume a male identity in order to live temporarily in Germany. Working menial jobs, Fariba, a.k.a. Siamak, tries in vain to save money for a legitimate passport, all the while experiencing the hardships that go along with being a "male" foreigner. When Siamak begins to date Anne (Anneke Kim Sarnau), a married woman whose growing involvement with an illegal alien causes dismay among her small-minded German friends, the plot quickly complicates. Anne discovers Fariba's true identity once she faces return to Iran, and the two hatch a plan to ensure Fariba's safety. Unfortunately, Fariba does returns to Iran, and her female identity must forever remain a secret. Touching scenes between Fariba and Anne make the futility of Fariba's efforts toward happiness that much more disturbing, as the viewer becomes frustrated that this highly-educated woman is isolated from her gender and culture.Unveiledtranscends its focus on female relationships, since the universal nature of Fariba's quest for a new life applies to any refugee. Maccarone's thoughtful treatment of double-prejudice makes this unpleasant story easier to stomach, as a lesson in compassion and acceptance of those different from ourselves.—Trinie Dalton