Atieh Attarzadeh Firozabad and Hesam Eslami, Iranian filmmakers received a $5,000 award for their project Staring at the Sun

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

A charitable institute has been hosting more than 500 chronic mental patients for almost 20 years near Tehran. Habitants of the center have no hope of living on the outside, for their severe mental condition or lack of family able to take care of them. Due to strict rules of such institutions regarding gender separation, any sexual relations amongst patients is banned. In such atmosphere, a donor approves providing marital facilities for seven couples amongst the patients. Whispers of the decision changed the ordinary life of the patients. How this decision would challenge the living of men and women who have been segregated from one another since they entered the institution? Who are the selected couples? How the system makes them ready for marriage and supports them after that? What are the couples’ human rights while they have no legal right to choose?