Teaching Fiction, Facing Fear: Iran's Literary Trials

Twenty years after its release, Azar Nafisi's acclaimed memoir, "Reading Lolita in Tehran," has been adapted for the screen. The film revisits Nafisi's time in Iran, primarily between the late 1970s and mid-1990s, as she navigates an increasingly restrictive environment where English-language literature was viewed with suspicion by authorities.

Initially a university professor, Nafisi later formed a private book discussion group with her female students after leaving academia. The film explores their engagement with classic novels, considering themes like the control exerted over women's lives. This cinematic translation, an Israeli-Italian co-production directed by Eran Riklis, captures the transformation of Iranian society during this period, including scenes of censorship and repression.