“You have no right!”

Abstract

Abstract This paper addresses conceptualizations of Iranian women represented in the dialogues and visuals of the Iranian locally-produced film The Paternal House; a film that portrays Iranian women in pre- and post-revolutionary Iran. Our findings, based on cultural conceptualizations analytical framework, revealed cultural metaphors (woman as slut, rancid food, crooked rib, ungodly human, and big-mouthed), cultural schemas (Iranian women as related to one’s aberou ‘credit’, gheirat ‘honor’, and Iranian women as humiliated characters who suffers from lack of personal autonomy), and a cultural category (inferior gender) related to Iranian women before the Islamic Revolution in Iran. Also, the study showed a reconceptualization of the cultural schema of lack of personal autonomy in post-revolutionary Iran, where educated Iranian women confidently strive for their freedom of choice. The study highlights the importance of film dialogues and visuals in conveying cultural conceptualizations of women in a specific speech community over time.