A Separation



A 2011 Iranian drama about the pair who decides to separate on the ground of their irreconcilable goals: Simin wants to leave Iran in order to give her daughter Termeh a chance to grow up in a less restrictive culture, whilst Nader believes his primary obligation is to care for his father, who suffers from Alzheimer disease. The film subtly comments on cultural and psychological differences by confronting the two main characters with another married pair with less education and more traditional worldview - Hodjat and Razieh. Apart from all that, it is a compelling crime story full of suspense and plot devices characteristic for Agatha Christie's books.


 * Divorce Assets Conflict: averted - Simin does not want to retain any material possessions with the exception of a couple of books.
 * Feuding Families: Nader and Simin vs. Hodjat and Razieh, as a result of unfortunate conflict about the old man.
 * Foot-Dragging Divorcee: Nader.
 * Solomon Divorce: Termeh's problem.
 * Daddy's Girl: Termeh, who seems to get on better with Nazer than with Simin.
 * Follow in My Footsteps: Simin and Termeh.
 * Missing Mom: Simin for Termeh, for quite some time.
 * Taking the Kids: attempts to do it.
 * Think of the Children.
 * : Razieh.
 * No Ending: and how.
 * Fiery Redhead: Simin.
 * The Bechdel Test: an interesting case. All female characters are multidimensional, and the fact that they indeed talk about men for a majority of time is due to their decisiveness, not lack of interest - they just have to take matters in their hands.
 * House Husband: Nader.
 * Honor-Related Abuse: Nader's supposed attack on Razieh.