GC Movie Review - The Stoning of Soraya M.

By Rhonda Ridley

Production Companies: Mpower Pictures
Cast: Shohreh Aghdashloo, Mozhan Marno, Jim Caviezel, Navid Nagahban, Ali Pourtash
Director: Cyrus Nowrasteh
Screenwriter: Cyrus Nowrasteh, Betsy Giffen Nowarsteh, based on the book by Freidoune Sahebjam
Producers: Steve McEveety, John Shepherd
Director of photography: Joel Ransom
Production designer: Judy Rhee
Editor: Geoffrey Rowland
Rating: No rating
Duration: 116 minutes

Synopsis: Director Cyrus Nowrasteh teams with screenwriter and wife Betsy Giffen Nowrasteh to illuminate the dangers of religious fundamentalism, gender apartheid, and mob rule with this fictionalized adaptation of Freidoune Sahebjam's best-selling novel centering on a true-life tragedy. The story takes place in 1986, just as Khomeini is coming into power in Iran. Undercover French journalist Freidoune Sahebjam (Jim Caviezel) is traveling though a small southwestern village when his car breaks down.

When I tell you nothing could have prepared me for “The Stoning of Soraya M.” I mean NOTHING! This was the most compelling film I’ve seen since “The Passion of the Christ.” It was painful and agonizing to watch, but because it is a true story you can’t look away.

As Christians; followers of Christ and messengers of the Good News, injustice of any kind should incite an emotion of righteous anger within all of us. This emotion will overtake you as you watch this film, especially since it still goes on today. Whether man, woman, boy or girl no one has the right to make people feel worthless, useless and purposeless.

In certain Middle Eastern countries this is exactly how women are treated. Women are seen as dispensable; replaceable at her husband’s choosing. However if she disagrees, he must then buy her out. Similar to the Old Testament of the Bible, the husband could obtain a letter of divorcement and divorce his wife for any cause. Let’s remember, this was not Gods law – God hates divorce! This was a law Moses passed because people were constantly defiling the Covenant of Marriage and coming to him for divorces.