When the Moon Was Full

When the Moon Was Full is a 2019 Iranian drama film written and directed by Narges Abyar. The film is based on the true story of the brother and sister-in-law of Abdolmalek Rigi, the former leader of the Jundallah terrorist group in the Iran's southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan. It won multi awards including the Crystal Simorgh for Best Film at the 37th Fajr Film Festival. Plot The film tells the story of Abdolhamid Rigi and Faezeh Mansuri, who meet when Abdolhamid is working in a store at a bazaar in Zahedan where Faezeh and her mother are customers. Abdolhamid is the younger brother of Abdolmalek Rigi, the leader of the Jundallah (Soldiers of God) terrorist group who terrored in southeastern Iran while supported by Taliban. Abdolhamid marries Faezeh and forces her to move to Pakistan, along with her brother Shahab. Faezeh and Shahab become caught up in the activities of Jundallah. Faezeh's family discovers she has been taken captive by Jundallah in Pakistan. The terrorist group beheads Shahab because they believe he is an Iranian agent. Abdolmalek Rigi calls Faezeh and Shahab's father, and tells him to watch a video of his son's beheading on Al-Arabiya the following night. Faezeh has a chance to escape from Pakistan but she chooses to remain there with her three children. On Abdolmalek's orders, Abdolhamid kills Faezeh while she is sleeping. In 2010, Abdolmalek is traveling to Bishkek from Dubai on a regular Airbus plane when an Iranian intelligence officer forces the plane to land in Iran, leading to the arrest of both Rigi brothers and, after a court finds them guilty of dozens of criminal acts, their execution the same year. At the time, Iranian officials accused the U.S. and some Arab countries of funding Abdolmalek Rigi's activities. The unnamed officers who arrested the Rigi brothers tell the Iranian media that Abdolmalek had been on his way to a meeting with diplomat Richard Holbrooke near Bishkek.