.نفس دوم <> Nafas-e dovom (Second Breath)

The book Second Breath, subtitled Suddenly, I Told the Prison: You Are Home, is by Mojgan Ilanlou, a documentary filmmaker and women’s rights activist. The book recounts her memories and writings from the period of her arrest and imprisonment during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement. Ilanlou was arrested for her civic activities and for removing the mandatory hijab. Following her release, she wrote this approximately 300-page book.

Far more than a traditional prison memoir, the book offers candid reflections on human vulnerability, empathy, resistance, and a woman’s perspective on the experience of imprisonment.

Structure and Content

The book Second Breath is organized into three main chapters, presenting events in chronological order:

1. Chapter One – 40 Days in Solitary Confinement: An account of the early days of her detention in a solitary-confinement cell in Ward 2A of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

2. Chapter Two – Qarchak Prison: A description of the tense conditions and atmosphere of Qarchak Prison at the height of the 2022 protests.

3. Chapter Three – The Women’s Ward of Evin Prison: An account of her longer period of imprisonment in the women’s ward of Evin Prison. In this chapter, the author describes the complex relationships among the prisoners, everyday life, court proceedings, and her interactions with prominent figures such as Faezeh Hashemi, Vida Rabbani, and Yalda Moayeri.

4. Alongside the book, Ilanlou also made a 53-minute documentary film of the same title, Second Breath. The documentary took six years to complete and explores the roots of structural violence against women in Iran. It has been screened in various European cities, including Prague and Berlin.