The Stoning of Soraya M.

Plot

A drama set in 1986 Iran and centered on a man, Sahebjam, whose car breaks down in a remote village and enters into a conversation with Zahra…

Release Year: 2008

Rating: 7.8/10 (5,866 voted)

Critic's Score: 50/100

Director:
Cyrus Nowrasteh

Stars: Shohreh Aghdashloo, Jim Caviezel, Mozhan Marnò

Storyline
A drama set in 1986 Iran and centered on a man, Sahebjam, whose car breaks down in a remote village and enters into a conversation with Zahra, who relays to him the story about her niece, Soraya, whose arranged marriage to an abusive tyrant had a tragic ending.

Writers: Betsy Giffen Nowrasteh, Cyrus Nowrasteh

Cast:

Shohreh Aghdashloo
–

Zahra

Mozhan Marnò
–

Soraya M.

Jim Caviezel
–

Freidoune Sahebjam

Navid Negahban
–

Ali

Ali Pourtash
–

Mullah

David Diaan
–

Ebrahim

Parviz Sayyad
–

Hashem

Vida Ghahremani
–

Mrs. Massoud

Vachik Mangassarian
–

Morteza Ramazani – Soraya's Father

Bita Sheibani
–

Leila

Noor Al Taher
–

Kataneh

Haya Al Taher
–

Malaka

Khalid Khan
–

Warden

Sheede Dana
–

Second Woman

Fay Yan
–

Bita

Taglines:
When a deadly conspiracy became a shameful cover-up One witness refused to be silent.

Details

Official Website:
Official site |

Release Date: 9 October 2009

Opening Weekend: $115,053
(USA)
(28 June 2009)
(27 Screens)

Gross: $651,542
(USA)
(8 November 2009)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

USA: 114 min
 |
Argentina: 114 min

Did You Know?

Trivia:

At the location where the jail scene was to be shot a prison riot broke out the day before causing a lockdown and a "prison" had to be constructed.

Quotes:

[first lines]

Title Card:
Don't act like the hypocrite, who thinks he can conceal his wiles while loudly quoting the Koran. – Hafez, 14th Century Iranian Poet

User Review

A must-see film…

Rating: 9/10


Saw this film recently at a special "pre-screening". The Stoning of
Soraya M. is one of the few movies you will vividly remember to your
dying day. It is almost unwatchable, yet you can't take your eyes off
the screen. To think that women are still going through this today,
creates a sense of obligation to see this movie. I can't stop thinking
about all the women who encounter this type of injustice around the
globe. Shohreh's performance is stunning and she surely deserves an
Oscar nomination. She literally has pages of written text on her face,
in one glance she communicates so much. Though tough to watch at
places, I don't think it any different then the senseless violence in
summer blockbusters and horror films. This film is a testament to the
hundreds of thousand of voiceless women around the work.