WHEN SELF-DETERMINATION IS REPRESSED.

Byline: Glenn Whipp Film Critic

You don't have to be a woman or part of the Islamic culture to appreciate the provocative poignancy of Marziyeh Meshkini's ``The Day I Became a Woman,'' an extraordinary film about freedom, the loss of innocence and the pull of life's inescapable social forces. The movie is a striking statement about what it means to be a woman in Iran or a member of any culture that puts limitations on the notions of freedom and self- determination.

If that makes the film sound like a dry social treatise, don't worry; ``The Day I Became a Woman'' is full of exhilarating scenes and memorable characters. It's another winning import from Iran, a country of gifted filmmakers who specialize in exotically gorgeous movies.

The 75-minute film is divided into three 25-minute segments, each telling the story of a woman at a different age and stage of her life. Taken together, they could represent three faces of the same woman. Taken together, they most certainly represent a moving portrait of the limitations faced by women in Islamic culture.

The first story follows a young girl on the day of her ninth birthday, the age that signifies the end of childhood in Iran. Hava (Fatemeh Cheragh Akhtar) doesn't understand why this particular day is any different from the previous one; she wants to go play and have an ice cream with her little male playmate. Her mother and grandmother resist, telling her she must cloak herself in a chador.

A compromise is reached: Hava has until noon (the hour she was born) to play with her friends. Then she must come home; then she must become a woman. Hava's grandmother gives her a stick to measure the sun's shadow. When she can no longer see the shadow, she must return home. It adds up to a beautifully powerful vignette about the end of childhood.

In the thrilling second story, a young wife, Ahoo (Shabnam Toloui), takes part in a bicycle race against the wishes of her husband, who chases her on a horse. When Ahoo refuses to stop, her husband threatens divorce. The desperate Ahoo continues to pedal, even though she is eventually pursued by not only her husband, but fellow tribesmen and other family members, who urge her to ``think of your dignity'' and that ``God will judge you.''

The final piece is an engagingly surrealistic story about an old woman (Azizeh Seddighi) who goes on a shopping spree, buying every gadget and appliance that she can find. The woman tells her grandson that these items are things she has ``always dreamt of having,'' but it's clear she doesn't have a clue as to their function. Having been denied these luxuries all her life, the woman doesn't need the appliances to operate. She merely needs them to exist, representing the end of all the frustrations she has known in her life.

``The Day I Became a Woman'' was written by director Meshkini's husband, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, a director himself, and no stranger to the cinematic power of unembellished storytelling. Together, they have created a remarkable movie that is entertaining as well as heartrendingly beautiful.

``THE DAY I BECAME A WOMAN''

(Unrated: Suitable for all ages; in Farsi, with English subtitles)

The stars: Fatemeh Cheragh Akhtar, Shabnam Toloui, Azizeh Seddighi.

Behind the scenes: Directed by Marziyeh Meshkini. Screenplay by Mohsen Makhmalbaf. Released by the Shooting Gallery Film Series.

Running time: One hour, 15 minutes.

Playing: Two-week engagement at the Cineplex Odeon Fairfax Theatre in Hollywood.

Our rating: Three and one half stars

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A woman races for more than victory in the Iranian film ``The Day I Became a Woman.''