Iranian stuntwomen challenge gender norms in film

Iranian stuntwomen are pushing into a film profession long dominated by men, with Nasrin Teymouri leading the Stunt Powerful team in southern Tehran.

At a skatepark in the Iranian capital, women train for stunts including flips, falls and fire work. During rehearsals, team members stand by with a fire extinguisher and wet blanket as performers are set alight for controlled scenes.

Teymouri said that until a few years ago, men would dress as women to perform stunts for actresses. She said some directors had told women they could not work as stunt performers, but later accepted them after seeing their work.

The team includes young trainees such as nine-year-old Mahisa Babayi-Parsa, who said she had been set on fire twice, jumped from heights, fallen down stairs and been ejected from a car.

The crew trains in a setting where mixed-gender participation remains restricted in many sports in Iran. Teymouri said confronting fear had helped her stay in the profession.