Sheila Godfrey

Like so many others I enjoy a good spooky movie. I came across a movie on Netflix called, Under the Shadow. This movie takes place in the 1980s in Iran during the War of the Cities. The language spoken is Persian, but with the English subtitles turned on it was not a challenge to keep up with the story. There are obvious cultural differences immediately in the beginning of the movie. For example, the music playing in the background features different types of instruments than what we hear on American radio. Women in Iran wear Hijabs in public, but without face coverings. We see this in America as well, but we do not have a law stating women must wear one. The main female character, Shideh, has found herself in trouble for being politically active during the revolution. She gives excuses such as being young and naive, but is immediately told that mistakes have consequences. She is expelled from the university and can no longer continue her studies. This was devastating as she was in medical school, and this is not common for women in Iran. This is not a common practice in America. She is one of very few women who drive, and there are checkpoints to see if anyone is hiding in vehicles since it is a time of war. The cars are very little and boxy looking. They live with tape on their windows, and run to the basement when the sirens go off. These aren’t culturally differences, but experiences can shape who we are. As the movie progresses I took notice to meals and interior design of the homes we visited. Breakfast looks way different than what we see in America. We are the land of cereal, eggs, breakfast meats, waffles, pancakes, etc. In this movie breakfast consisted of fruit such as apple slices, there was also cucumbers, bread, butter, cheese and tea. It seems standard to have oil, salt, and pepper on the table. The kitchen walls were fully tiled up to the ceiling with big floor tiles. In American homes, tiles is usually for floors, and kitchen wall tiles are small, and do not go up to the ceiling, usually called a back splash. The furniture and drapes seem to be more fancy than what you see in a standard American home. This family was not rich but the decor looked rich, royal even. Shideh looks to workout to her Jane Fonda video cassette that she plays on her vcr. It is mentioned later when speaking with her daughter, Dorsa, that the authorities will take the vcr away if they hear about them owning one. I think the title, Under the Shadow, symbolizes the oppression that women in Iran face, and I think it is about what they fear, Djinn. In America, the Bible is the number one book; in Iran the Koran is the number one book, and this is where Djinn comes from. It is a demon looking for souls. In my family we fear Satan and demons, and in Iran they fear Djinn. There is a scene where the Shideh becomes very frightened, she runs out of her apartment with Dorsa, and continues running down the street. She is picked up not to get help but for “exposing herself,” meaning she wasn’t wearing her Hijab. Luckily, she received a warning instead of a lashing. I don’t want to give too much away about this movie, but if you like to jump and enjoy movies such as The Conjuring, then I suggest you give this a watch.