Starring: Layla Mohammadi, Niousha Noor, Kamand Shafieisabet, Bijan Daneshmamd, Tom Byrne
Director: Maryam Keshavarz
Country: USA
UK Platform: NOW TV
Leila (Mohammadi) is a young Queer Iranian-American filmmaker, who has a drunken one-night stand with a drag queen (Byrne). She is part of a vast family with many siblings and is considered the black sheep of the group, but when her father (Daneshmamd) is taken into hospital, she begins to learn that while her mother, Shireen (Noor), has always been conservative, she is also a fierce and accomplished feminist battleaxe. And when Leila discovers that she is pregnant, she embarks on a journey of discovery about her mother’s unconventional past.
Hot on the heels of The Queen Of My Dreams, which covered much of the same territory but from a different cultural perspective, this is a rumination on being a second generation immigrant and discovering the nuance of their parents’ migration story. Though much of the story belongs to Shireen – a good portion is told through flashback with Shafieisabet playing her younger self – this is still Leila’s narrative. Having grown up believing that her parents’ values are at odds with her own, the revelation that her mother left Iran to forge her own family’s destiny in a more liberal society comes as quite the bombshell to her. And while Shireen might still uphold values that Leila sees as outdated, there is no doubt that her mother was a pioneering trail-blazer, albeit from a different generation.
A film could easily be made solely about a woman whose family believe her to be a lesbian and then gets pregnant from a one-night stand with a man, but this is a much richer film than that. With all its cultural nuggets, this is a fun snap-shot that both celebrates the Persian identity and raises the issues that would lead to the Iran we know today.
Colourful and vibrant, this beautifully revels in the charm of Persia, but is held back by dislikeable protagonist, who just seems to automatically dislikes anything to do with her family. We also learn very little about the other siblings, which is certainly wasted dramatic potential, plus there is also a disconnect between the Shireen of today and the Shireen we see in flashback. So while the film is drenched with enriching stylistic flourishes – who doesn’t love a good freeze frame or a narrator who breaks the fourth wall? – there are still script issues here. So if you’re looking for a film that showcases all things Persian, this is definitely your film… but if you’re looking for a film about a Queer second-generation migrant reconnecting with their heritage, watch The Queen Of My Dreams instead.
UK Release: Out now to stream on NOW TV, released by Sony Pictures Classics
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