Eighteen-year-old Roo-bekheir refuses to marry – a sign of demonic possession for her family and the village. In “The Sealed Soil”, Marva Nabili explores female self-determination, social pressure and the limits of individual freedom in 1970s Iran.
The film was interpreted as a critical parable on the country’s stalling modernisation and was never allowed to be shown in Iran. Marva Nabili smuggled the original negative to the USA, where she completed the film – which had initially been shot without sound – and added dubbing and sound design.
Internationally, “The Sealed Soil” was acclaimed by critics and is now regarded as a milestone in Iranian film history: It is only the second feature film ever to have been made in Iran by a female director. For a long time, no screenable copy was available; it was not until 2025 that a restored version was produced.
With an introduction.