The Glass House

The Glass House skillfully examines the mostly hidden lives of young women, teetering on the fringes of Iranian society in modern Tehran. Marginalized by their families, these women have found a saving grace in a day center formed by an Iranian expatriate. Marjaneh Halati opened the center to give downtrodden young women a voice, thus empowering them with the life skills they need to succeed on their own. Many of these teens previously spent time in a jail, hospital, or state home because they had no other options. Sussan is 20 years old and suffers from memory loss and a stutter as a result of a blow to the head either from her sigheh (temporary husband) or her abusive brother. Mitra is learning how to avoid confrontation with her father, who takes out his frustration on his 16-year-old daughter. Nazila, 19, finds an outlet for her anguish by recording as a rap singer, which is forbidden by law. The young women see Marjaneh as both a mother figure and a mentor and cherish her frequent visits from London. In superb cinema vérité style spanning 18 months, The Glass House deftly portrays a spirit of hopefulness. These former victims are given the chance to express themselves and transform their difficult circumstances into new beginnings.
CAST

Hamid Rahmanian - Hamid Rahmanian is a filmmaker and graphic designer. He was nominated for a Student Academy Award for his animatation, The Seventh Day, in 1997. His first short film, An I Within, received Kodak's Best Cinematography Award in 1999. In 2003 Rahmanian cofounded the nonprofit organization ArteEast, which supports and promotes artists from the Middle East. In 2005 he completed his first feature-length film, Day Break, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Screenings:

Fri. Jan 16 12:15 p.m. - GLASS164D Holiday Village Cinema IV, Park City
Sat. Jan 17 8:30 a.m. - GLASS17PM Prospector Square Theatre, Park City
Sat. Jan 17 6:00 p.m. - GLASS17SE Screening Room, Sundance Resort
Wed. Jan 21 6:00 p.m. - GLASS21BE Broadway Centre Cinemas VI, SLC
Fri. Jan 23 9:15 p.m. - GLASS234N Holiday Village Cinema IV, Park City