The Stoning of Soraya M.

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  • Opened June 26, 2009 
  • 1 hr 56 min
  • R | disturbing sequence of cruel and brutal violence, and brief strong language

  • Stranded in a remote Iranian village, a French journalist is approached by Zahra, a woman who has a harrowing tale to tell about her niece, Soraya, and the bloody circumstances of her death the day before...As the journalist turns on his tape recorder, Zahra takes us back to the beginning of her story which involves Soraya's husband, the local phony mullah, and a town all too easily led down a path of deceit, coercion, and hysteria. The women, stripped of all rights and without recourse, nobly confront the overwhelming desires of corrupt men who use and abuse their authority to condemn Soraya, an innocent but inconvenient wife, to an unjust and torturous death. A shocking and true drama, it exposes the dark power of mob rule, uncivil law, and the utter lack of human rights for women. The last and only hope for some measure of justice lies in the hands of the journalist who must escape with the story -- and his life -- so the world will know. Full synopsis

  • Cast: Shohreh Aghdashloo, Mozhan Marnò, James Caviezel, Bita Sheibani, Ali Pourtash, Parviz Sayyad, David Diaan
  • Director: Cyrus Nowrasteh
  • Genres: Art House/Foreign, Drama

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Fan Reviews

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Heavy-hearted

by SanyaT

This movie will remain with me for a time. I respect other cultures and try not to judge according to my own values and morals, but stoning to death a human being based on accusations of adultrey is...

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Critic Reviews

80
The Hollywood Reporter
|

It's a powerful, shocking piece, and the denunciation of a system in which an accused woman has to prove her own innocence (while in the case of a man, his guilt has to be proven by others), is strong and clear and unforgettable. Read full review

75
San Francisco Chronicle
|

The sum is difficult to watch. But this isn't a film against Islam or religion in general: A clear distinction is made between Allah's more vicious followers and the mercy of Allah himself. Read full review

75
USA Today
| Claudia Puig

A timely story, given the political upheaval in Iran, it is emotionally explosive. It also is profoundly compelling. Read full review

75
Chicago Sun-Times
| Roger Ebert

The Stoning of Soraya M.”has such a powerful stoning sequence that I recommend it if only for its brutal ideological message. That the pitiful death of Soraya is followed by a false Hollywood upbeat ending involving tape recordings and silliness about a car that won't start is simply shameful. Nowrasteh, born in Colorado, attended the USC Film School. Is that what they teach there? Read full review

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Promotional art for "The Stoning of Soraya M."