Not Without My Daughter

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains a description of domestic violence and abuse, and the injuries sustained thereby.

The family moves to the cramped and cluttered home of Moody’s younger relatives, Reza and Essey. The neighborhood is bustling with people begging for help and itinerant traders loudly selling products on the streets. Betty observes that the living conditions are far from ideal, featuring cockroaches and other evidence of unsanitary practices. However, she gradually adjusts to this new way of life, learning to cope with the daily challenges. Eventually, the family moves to a different apartment upstairs, which is owned by a couple named Mammal and Nasserine. Betty helps the couple by cooking, cleaning, and taking care of their baby, Amir. After some time, Betty attempts to contact the Swiss Embassy due to her dire circumstances. Struggling to find a payphone with the correct coin, she meets an English-speaking shopkeeper named Hamid, who offers his phone. She connects with a woman named Helen at the embassy and learns that the embassy has already contacted Moody in an attempt to speak to Betty. This knowledge instills fear, as Moody now knows that Betty’s parents are working to help her. After the phone call to the embassy, Betty decides to share her story with Hamid, a rare act of trust in a stranger.