Mashid (Farahi) is a successful artist married, unhappily, to Hamoun (Shakibai), a deeply frustrated, un-self-realized intellectual attempting to finish a Ph.D. dissertation on love and faith. Tired of her husband’s bullying, Mashid longs for divorce, but must first receive Hamoun’s consent under Islamic law.

Once voted Iran’s best film by a panel of Persian critics (a big honor in a country with such a robust, globally recognized film culture), “Hamoun” is the story of a disintegrating marriage, but Mehrjui (“The Cow”) refrains from siding with either party. Instead, he explores the tension between modern Tehrani lifestyles and the grip of ancient tradition (divorce is granted in special circumstances only), and, with the help of two fine actors, reveals that the stress and storm of married life may sometimes resolve into peace.