The Charcoal

Six urban women reveal their family recipes in a film that, at first glance, may look like an introduction to local cuisine, but which turns into a surprising exploration of relationships in modern Iranian society.

Roya, an Iranian teacher imprisoned in Tehran’s Evin Prison for her political beliefs, is faced with a choice: make a forced televised confession or remain confined to her three-square-metre cell. As past and present slip out of sequence and exchange places, she moves between inner landscapes and lived experience.

Nahal is around thirty and in her fourth month of pregnancy. During a routine check-up she learns that her baby has died and she now faces a curettage abortion in two days’ time. When she tries to address the subject, neither her mother nor her husband give her a chance to speak.

A woman suffers complications after having sex. Her partner takes her to the hospital, but getting help proves to be difficult.

A boy who has uncertain hopes for his father’s return home does all he can to restore his family’s ship in time for his father’s upcoming birthday.

Shahriar, a rustic man, starts a journey of discovery after his father's demise. He, along with his beloved donkey, goes to find a special place, finding solace and trouble on the way. Peculiar encounters caution him against going further into darkness, but he decides to continue his journey at all costs.