During the site inspection, he tries to rape her.
Reyhaneh stabs him in self-defense.
She is arrested for murder and sentenced to death.
Reyhaneh Jabbari in ‘Seven Winters in Tehran'© Made in Germany
Partly through the efforts of Jabbaris mother, Shole Pakravan, the case attracted worldwide attention.
Niederzoll, a native of Nuremberg, first heard of it through media reports.
In 2014, it was quite big in the news also in Germany, Niederzoll explains.
Reyhaneh Jabbari testifies in an Iranian court after being accused of premeditated murder.© Made in Germany
The uncle of Reyhaneh lives in Germany, and so he was making press [interviews] here.
Reyhaneh was the youngest of three girls, and grew up longing for progress in repressive Iran.
After her arrest, Reyhanehs family was told by police that they couldnt see her or hire a lawyer.
From the beginning, authorities tightened the screws on Reyhaneh and her family to extract a confession.
Reyhaneh later revealed she was beaten during police questioning and housed in an isolation cell in prison.
An interrogator told Reyhaneh her family had abandoned her, out of shame over her crime.
Her youngest sister was arrested as an accessory to murder and allegedly threatened with torture.
Shortly before she was put to death in 2014, Reyhaneh got a message out to her family.
I dont want you to wear black clothing for me.
Do your best to forget my difficult days.
Give me to the wind to take away.
When I started to read the letters, I couldnt stop crying, Amir-Ebrahimi recalls.
It was really moving for me.
[The letters refer to] rape.
Its about how you are treated as a woman in this society.
And I think, personally, I know this story.
I could have ended up like her, and I could imagine myself in that jail.
Speaking with Deadline in Berlin, Amir-Ebrahimi became emotional thinking about what Reyhaneh went through.
Its so heartbreaking, really.
Amir-Ebrahimi saysSeven Winters in Tehranspeaks to a grim reality in Iran.
If you dont collaborate with them, you are condemned to die or to be isolated or whatever.
Thats the problem with this system.
Thats why its really important that Shole [Reyhanehs mom], and Steffi, they do this movie.
Its been years now that Reyhaneh isnt here, but the whole world has to know about this story.
