Naghmeh shirkhan biography books

The film explores love from multiple facets; raising questions about fidelity, guilt, and importantly, alienation.

Director, Writer, Producer Naghmeh Shirkhan is known for Maki () and The Neighbor ().

Yet, it contextualizes the questions within the lives of women who are capable of beauty, courage, creativity and hope. The lives of Iranian immigrants in their new American and European homes are rarely projected on screen. The film has three equally important protagonists; each occupying the same screen time. Shirin, is a beautiful middle aged single woman who runs a dance class for a living and takes ballroom dancing lessons for leisure.

Leila is a beautiful young woman, jobless and depressed, in what seems like a temporary home which she shares with her 6-year old daughter, Parisa, while her husband works and sends money from Iran. During The Neighbor we develop curiosity about what motivates these three, but we are hardly given an answer. The first actor, Shirin seems to be in an unhappy affair with a married middle aged Iranian man why else would they meet in hotel rooms or parking lots in the middle of nowhere?

She even walks out of her relationship without a word explained. Nevertheless, she is nice to everyone; she speaks little, but feels a lot. Her one, well-expressed sentiment, is melancholy for her grandmother. Apparently, her mother had abandoned her with the grandmother as a child—presumably to pursue an acting career. Leila is young, proud and beautiful.

The experience of separation, displacement, and the struggles of starting anew are major themes in Naghmeh's work.

Leila too seems to have an affair, with the blond guitarist of the bar she frequents. Leila is indeed difficult. When Shirin encounters her for the first time in the corridor of their apartment, she is highly reluctant to introduce herself or shake hands. Leila does not pretend to any nicety or care.