Fifth Reaction, The

(107 mins) From the controversial director of Hidden Half and Two Women comes another tale of clash between modernism and tradition in contemporary Iran. A progressive, recently widowed teacher and her conservative, controlling father-in-law fight for custody of her two small children. According to tradition, Fereshteh should remain in her father-in-law's home with her children, which he sees as an opportunity to force her to marry his younger son, but she refuses. Afraid of losing custody of the boys, she decides to take them and disappear from her father-in-law's realm of control, aided by her women friends. Tahmineh Milani's film captures the tumult of a nation plagued by the conflicting philosophies of hard-line religious groups and an educated, cosmopolitan population.

In Farsi with English subtitles.