Exploring the idea that outlawing behaviors doesn’t get rid of them but rather puts people into precarious and desperate situations at the detriment of their own well being, Tehran Taboo itself stands as a victim of these morality police. Showcasing several characters just struggling to survive in Tehran. Mostly, these intersecting stories are about women. Pari has been forced into prostitution due to her husband being jailed for drugs. Sara is pregnant wishes to work but cannot be cleared to do so without her husband’s signed permission. Sonya wishes to restore her hymen surgically before it is discovered she isn’t a virgin anymore. These societal taboos placed upon drug usage and sex and poverty has negatively impacted all of these women which in turn repeats a cycle of poverty and suffering. Interestingly, the film’s rotoscope animation style is a direct result of lingering taboos in the arts as director Ali Soozandeh was unable to gain permission to film in Tehran. Capturing live action footage elsewhere and then using filters to rotoscope it, Soozandeh places the characters in Tehran through the use of computer animation to replace the backgrounds. It’s a great way to retain the identity and purpose of the film even if the splintered story itself feels uneven.

Exploring the idea that outlawing behaviors doesn’t get rid of them but rather puts people into precarious and desperate situations at the detriment of their own well being, Tehran Taboo itself stands as a victim of these morality police. Showcasing several characters just struggling to survive in Tehran. Mostly, these intersecting stories are about women. Pari has been forced into prostitution due to her husband being jailed for drugs. Sara is pregnant wishes to work but cannot be cleared to do so without her husband’s signed permission. Sonya wishes to restore her hymen surgically before it is discovered she isn’t a virgin anymore. These societal taboos placed upon drug usage and sex and poverty has negatively impacted all of these women which in turn repeats a cycle of poverty and suffering. Interestingly, the film’s rotoscope animation style is a direct result of lingering taboos in the arts as director Ali Soozandeh was unable to gain permission to film in Tehran. Capturing live action footage elsewhere and then using filters to rotoscope it, Soozandeh places the characters in Tehran through the use of computer animation to replace the backgrounds. It’s a great way to retain the identity and purpose of the film even if the splintered story itself feels uneven.