Why this film has Iranian hard-liners breaking out in cold sweat
More than 100 cinema halls across Iran, which belong to hard-line Hozeh Honari, have boycotted "Cold Sweat,” an award-winning film that tells the story of an Iranian futsal player who is banned from taking part in an international competition by her husband.
Soheil Beiraghi’s "Cold Sweat,” an award-winning film based on a real story of a woman’s struggle to play futsal (indoor soccer), has raised the ire of the Iranian hard-liners who accuse the film of being unsuitable for families and undermining family values.
"Cold Sweat" narrates the story of Afrooz, the captain of the women's national futsal team, who scores a goal in a key match, leading her team to the finals in the Asian Cup in Malaysia. When she and the other players arrive at the airport, it turns out that the captain has been barred by her husband from leaving Iran.
Under Iranian law, a husband can stop his wife from traveling abroad.
The film appears to tell the story of Niloufar Ardalan, the captain and left midfielder of the Iranian women's national futsal team, who wasn’t allowed to attend the Asian Cup in 2015 when her husband forbid her from accompanying her team.
