The Brook

Matt Marrazzo

4/10/2014

A Separation Response

The opening film in the movie “ A Separation” starts off with a married couple who are attempting to fill out an application for a divorce, the married couple go by the names Nader who is the father, and Simin who is the mother. Simin has been working for about a year and a half to try to acquire a visa to an overseas country where she believes they can live a better life with their daughter Termeh. Upon their request the visa was granted to them and they would have forty days to respond to it, Nader is unhappy with this agreement. Nader had originally agreed with Simin to move to another country but now he refuses to go. This is because if they leave they will be leaving behind Nader’s father who suffers from Alzheimer’s and needs 24 hour care, Nader feels it is more important that he stay with his sick father. Nader is willing to let Simin leave but now they are faced with the dilemma of who gets custody over their daughter. Islamic law requires that they father get full custody in this situation, so Nader and Simin agree to go through unconsented divorce proceedings so it will make it easier for them when it comes to determining who gets custody of Termeh. However the magistrate who is listening to the divorce request, denies their request, because he said their reasons for their divorce are insufficient for solving their marriage.

With the choice of staying put with her father or move with her mother to try to better their lives, Termeh decides to stay with her father at home. This leaves Nader feeling very stressed out because he has to work a full time job, his wife just left him, has the responsibility to look after his sick father while taking care of Termeh and making sure she is on top of all of her school work. With all this responsibility Nader hires a caretaker women to look after his father while he is at work, the caretaker goes by the name of Razieh. Shortly after Razieh starts to work for...