The Hidden Half

A female death row prisoner in Iran is making a final attempt at clemency. Her strong left wing ties to the 1979 revolution were a contributing factor to her incarceration when she was imprisoned shortly after the overthrow of the Shah. Only days before she is to be executed a political appointee, Khosro (Mohammad Nikbin), is sent to hear her final appeal. When Khosro arrives, he discovers that his wife (Niki Karimi) left him a long letter divulging a radical political past and asking that her husband be understanding in hearing this political prisoner's plea. An exploration of unknown pasts, this morality tale gained international attention when director Tamineh Milani was imprisoned by the Iranian government for her depiction of a young girl's love of an older man before marriage, part of the confessional that Khorso's wife sends with him.