​The ​Circle​ by Jafar Panahi is set in modern day Tehran where patriarchy​ and​ religion have resulted in a severe curtailment of women's rights.​​ Although, religion is a weapon of oppression, it's not the root cause. Religion is used to convince people that a system so perverse is righteous. Various women struggle to function in the oppressively sexist society of contemporary Iran.​​​ ​This soul-stirring film is about the courage and resilienc​e​ that emerges from a deep yearning for freedom.