Sunless Shadows shows, in intimate detail, the daily lives and struggles of young Iranian women in a juvenile detention center who have been convicted of murdering older male relatives. You can rent this poignant documentary from the FACETS Virtual Cinema until 8/20.

Every young woman’s story in Sunless Shadow has the same heartbreaking cause, domestic violence. Filmmaker Mehrdad Oskouei’s deft touch with such sensitive subject matter is handled with the utmost care, as the voyeuristic details that are the bedrock of many crime documentaries are not included. 

The film follows the inmates through their daily lives, which often includes video letters to close relatives like mothers, aunts, and sometimes deceased fathers. The stories behind each subject are only gleaned in a passing conversation or in these video letters. Each girl is alone in a room with a camera and can say whatever they want to the family member of their choice. 

These letters are the focal point of the film, and they often lead to cathartic messages of remorse for violent actions and gratitude towards mothers who did what they could to protect them from further abuse. In one particularly difficult scene, a young woman asks why her abuse happened.

Mehrdad Oskouei’s 2016 film Starless Dreams also examined young Iranian women in detention centers, but focused more on their story before prison and the crime that were committed. In Sunless Shadows, however, Oskouei decided to focus on the present and how each person handles their pain, guilt, and boredom. 

Sunless Shadows is a heart wrenching 72 minutes to watch, because of the similarities and friendships each prisoner shares with each other, as well as the small bits of normalcy found within the detention center. They share one communal space with bunk beds. The women even make meals together and play games to pass the time. However, no moment of tenderness is without the harsh reminder of their circumstances and alienation.

Although every girl in the documentary has experienced their own abuse, their focus often isn’t on themselves, but on other family members. The majority worry about their mothers, who were often the ones to carry out the murder as a means of protection for themselves and their children. 

Those with mother’s on death row, express more fear and anxiety over their mother’s situations than their own. Often the only hope for these mothers is if relatives of the murdered forgive them for their crimes. 

Iran liberally practices the death penalty for a wide range of crimes including murder, adultery, and narcotics. The country executed 251+ people in 2019, making it second for executions behind China, according to Amnesty International. 

Iran’s minimum marriage age is 13 for girls, but it can happen earlier if a judge approves. Several young women in the detention center were child brides. Many say being married at such a young age ruined their lives and caused them to commit violent acts to get out of an abusive situation. 

Divorce laws favor men in Iran, as only they can legally file for it. Women can request a divorce, but if the husband refuses that is the end of the conversation. Several of the women discussed how this system pushed them into a corner, with violence being the only option for escape. 

Sunless Shadows opts for a highly personal approach to such systemic issues. It does not explain Iran’s marriage and family laws in-depth, only showing the effect they have had on the film’s subject. The director doesn’t interview family members, and the only moments shown outside the detention center are visits to mothers held in a different prison. By only focusing on the daily lives of these young women,  this documentary shows the true isolation and monotony of prison life. 

Mehrdad Oskouei’s documentary creates a space to explore broader social problems through the experiences of individuals. Through this, Sunless Shadows lets viewers reach their own conclusions through pure empathy for its subjects. 

Sunless Shadowsis available to rent through our Virtual Cinema through August 20. 

Sean Hemmersmeier is a journalism student at Loyola University Chicago and he prefers movies over films.