Film Review: SHAYDA: Familiarity Breeds Fascination for an Iranian Mother’s Bid for Independence [Sundance 2023]

Shayda Review

Shayda (2023) Film Review from the 45th Annual Sundance Film Festival, a movie directed by Noora Niasari, starring Zar Amir-Ebrahami, Mojean Aria, Leah Purcell, Osamah Sami, Jillian Nguyen, Lucinda Armstrong Hall, Eve Morey, Luka Sero, Selina Zahednia, and Rina Mousavi.

Writer/director Noora Niasari takes a fresh spin on an all too familiar tragedy exploring an Iranian mother’s dilemma in Shayda.

Muslim women’s struggle for equality is a topic we see portrayed on the screen time and again. Yet it never seems to lose its impact. Such can be said of the story of Shayda, an Iranian wife and mother studying at university in Australia. She has sued for divorce from her husband, Hossein, a medical student also studying there. The main conflict centers on the struggle over custody of their six year old daughter, Mona. But as the story unfolds, the focus on the child becomes more peripheral when the plot takes on broader themes.

Family Dynamics

Taken on its own terms, spouses undergoing disunion is stressful enough. Shayda has taken refuge in a women’s shelter, where she meets a diverse group of women in similar circumstances, some with children. When Hossein is on the scene, we see a likable couple who seem well matched. At first we wonder why these two very bright, reasonable people can’t seem to compromise. Soon enough we understand that Shayda fears for her daughter’s future in the face of Hossein’s unshakable faith in Islamic orthodoxy.

Shayda also faces another battle when her mother scolds her, warning her of the damage to her reputation back in Iran following divorce; she may be censured, shunned, punished, or exiled. This, again, is a common position among older Islamic generations when it comes to women’s roles. Naturally, this compounds worry over losing Mona, either by decree or abduction.

Nowruz

Interesting that Ms. Niasari chose the Persian New Year, Nowruz (‘New Day’) as the time in which the events of the plot unfold. Even more interesting is that this is an ancient but secular holiday that some Middle Eastern religions, Muslims among them, observe as part of their faith.

In the context of this movie, Nowruz may well be traditionally symbolic but not locked into any particular ideology. It is an especially joyous time, sharing gifts, food and fun, celebrated on the Spring Equinox for the same reason shared by many cultures everywhere: rebirth. For Shayda and Mona in particular, it likely serves as a reminder of happier aspects of their historical roots. And just as likely it’s no coincidence that Ms. Niasari cleverly sets the showdown between Shayda and Hossein at the Nowruz bash she attends with Mona.

Concerning Mona

In retrospect the most intriguing aspect of Shayda is Mona’s role in the big picture. Her situation drives film’s major conflict, but it’s also a paradox. Apart from the heart to heart between mother and child, the six-year-old seems almost peripheral in terms of plot and how she occupies the frame. She’s there, all right, but she’s almost mute, a passive participant, a reminder of the predicament in which minors too often find themselves, especially those at her age, when parents split up.

Hossein as Antagonist

Ms. Niasari evidently has taken great care to present a balanced view of a sticky situation. It seems only fair that the Australian authorities grant Hossein unsupervised visitation with his daughter, though Shayda doesn’t always manage to suppress her anxiety; her conduct during the brief exchanges is mostly taciturn, always fearful that Hossein will kidnap Mona and return to Iran. For his part, Hossein seems neither unreasonable nor contentious — at first.

But soon enough, Hossein puts Mona in the uncomfortable position of asking for reports of Shayda’s activities, especially a new friend in her life, the brother of a friend at the shelter. No surprise that this guy, in terms of social attitudes, is everything that Hossein is not — a progressive Muslim, and the prospect of a blossoming relationship looks good.

Hossein’s extremism, however, whether one of faith or prerogative, ends in a frenzied confrontation where he shows up at the Nowruz bash, gun in hand, looking to mete out some vigilante justice. This backfires, naturally, and he winds up in custody, while Shayda and Mona are set free — a testament to the tenacity of the individual and the willingness to be an agent of change.

Shayda’s journey is a familiar one, both in cinema and in life. The nuanced performances all around lend a special air of authenticity, especially Zar Amir-Ebrahami in the title role, Osamah Sami as Hossein, and Selina Zahednia as Mona. Ms. Niasari manages an intimacy that makes this film stand out and keeps the audience engaged.

Rating: 8.5/10

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