A serious marital dilemma is set in the background of the Persian New Year, known as Nowruz, celebrating the beginning of spring.
Shayda is an Australian drama, directed by Directors Guild of America Award Nominee, Noora Niasari. The script was derived from a memoir Niasari’s mother wrote about her experience immigrating to Australia in the 1990s, when Niasari was five years old. During this time, Australia had created a humanitarian assistance program, in order to protect religious minorities from persecution.
In Iran, there were many issues plaguing the population such as economic and political hardship. These challenges disproportionately impacted the rights of Iranian women. The titular character Shayda, like many others, immigrated to Australia as a refugee. Just like Niasari, Shayda immigrates alongside her six-year old daughter, Mona, played by Selina Zahednia.
The premise of the film is that Shayda is working to negotiate a divorce from her abusive husband, Hosseim (Osamah Sami). Throughout this difficult process, Shayda and Mona are living in a women’s shelter. Niasari based Mona’s character on her own experiences growing up in this type of environment.
She found it important to capture a child’s perspective as her mother was experiencing domestic and sexual violence from her father. “I think that children are caught in this cross-fire when you know, situations like this take place. I really wanted to capture that dilemma,” said Niasari.
Additionally, actress Zar Amir Ebrahami (Shayda) has her own experience fleeing Iran. Ebrahami was exiled in her country after a private video of her and her previous partner was leaked to the public. Much of the culture in Iran is censored and there are strict rules for citizens, especially for women.
She shared with me how she and her character share similar traumas. “Somehow our lives in Iran, not only me but most of the women that I know, they’ve suffered in a way from this patriarchal society — I always say, as an actress, I really believe that all these layers and emotions, and characters, they exist in us as human beings.”
Both Niasari and Ebrahami, alongside the rest of the cast of Shayda, showcased their film at the Sundance Film Festival last year where it was an official selection. It was given the same accolades at the Toronto International Film Festival and AFI Film Festival as well.
Shayda will be shown in theaters starting March 1st, 2024. Full list of showings here.
Want to read more about Iranian films? Check out Maryam Keshavarz’s The Persian Version Interview here!
