In a war torn Middle Eastern city, a young wife (Farahani) cares for her older, comatose husband (Djavadan) while trying to keep her two daughters fed and safe. As gunfire draws closer, the woman takes the girls to her aunt’s (Burgan) who works as a prostitute. The wife then finds comfort in spilling all her desires and dreams to her unresponsive husband, including some long-held, deeply guarded secrets.

Shot in Kabul, Afghanistan and Morocco, Rahimi’s eloquent script (co-written with Jean-Claude Carriere) is adapted from his own prize-winning novel. Exiled Iranian actress Farahani gives a deeply expressive performance as a woman denied a life of love. Rahimi opens up the action of his chamber drama, and the screenplay, consisting mostly of monologues delivered by Farahani, is eloquent and deeply felt. Using the Persian folklore of a magic stone that absorbs all confidences, Rahimi has crafted a powerful allegory about the silenced voices of Muslim women. Don’t miss this hidden gem of a film.