Overview

• Saeed Roustaee's latest film, 'Woman and Child,' premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, receiving a ten-minute standing ovation.
• The film was created under Iranian state-imposed restrictions, including mandatory hijab requirements for female characters.
• 'Woman and Child' centers on Mahnaz, a widowed nurse navigating personal tragedy and systemic patriarchy while raising her children alone.
• Roustaee's dynamic, Hollywood-inspired filmmaking style contrasts with the allegorical approaches of other Iranian directors under censorship.
• This marks Roustaee's return to Cannes after facing a six-month prison sentence and a five-year filmmaking ban, which were later lifted.