It's 1953, and political discord has gripped Iran as a military coup d'etat threatens to depose Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh. Munis (Shabnam Tolouei) is a thoughtful woman who has been following the news with great interest, though her brother Assad (Bijan Daneshmand) regards her interest in politics as foolish and unbecoming a woman. Munis' friend Faezeh (Pegah Ferydoni) shares some of her views, but is ultimately more interested in trying to impress Assad. Elsewhere in Tehran, Fakhri (Arita Shahrzad) is a woman who is well into middle age and married to a career military official who has lost interest in her both romantically and intellectually. And Zarin (Orsi Tóth) is a streetwalker who is looking for a life outside of selling her body to men who don't care about her. Eager to meet like-minded people, Fakhri tries to establish a literary salon for women, and Munis and Zarin join her in trying to find a satisfaction in the written word that has been denied them in life.

Acclaimed photographer Shirin Neshat makes her directorial debut with this incisive and sumptuously filmed reflection on the pivotal moment in history that led directly to the Islamic revolution and the Iran we know today. Women Without Men (Zanan-e bedun-e mardan) chronicles the intertwining lives of four iranian woman during the summer of 1953; a cataclystic moment in Iranian history when an American led, British backed coup d'etat broght down the democratically elected Prime Minister. Over the course of several days the four women are brought together against the backdrop of political social turmoil.

Women Without Men will be released on UK DVD by Artificial Eye on 9th August 2010 at the RRP of £15.99. Included on the disc is an interview with director Shirin Neshat.