|
|
|
|
|
Women can (and often do) endure a lot on their own. But when their children are in danger, it changes everything. And in Shayda, an Iranian woman in Australia fights to protect herself and her daughter, well aware of the challenges and discrimination she’ll face on her own.
Shayda finds Shayda (Zar Amir Ebrahimi) moving into a women’s shelter in Australia with her young daughter, Mona (Selina Zahednia), to escape from her abusive husband, who’s threatened to take Mona away if she tries to go forward with a divorce. As the Persian New Year celebrations begin, promising renewal and new life, Shayda does her best to carry on the traditions. But as she works to build the case against her husband and tries to start her own new life, she lives in fear for her future.
The film follows this courageous woman as she fights to break free from abuse, knowing that her decision to walk away will create so many new problems for her. After all, for a woman like Shayda, divorce is not an acceptable option. She’s shunned by members of the Persian community in Australia. Her husband reminds her that, if she were back home in Iran, she’d be killed for her choices. And, over the phone from Tehran, even her mother begs her to go back to her husband, reminding her that no one’s life is perfect. Yet she carries on for Mona, this sweet little girl who lives in fear after being forced to witness her mother’s abuse.
Zar Amir Ebrahimi gives a quietly moving performance as this strong mother who’s fighting for her daughter—and also for herself. Slowly, her character transforms from a woman who’s beaten down and afraid to a woman who’s ready to let go of the past and embrace a new life. She cuts her hair, meets new people, and allows herself to dance and enjoy herself. Though there’s so much fear and uncertainty in her life, she finds joy, too—whether it’s in her New Year traditions or in her relationship with her daughter. And while it isn’t a fast-moving film filled with action and drama, it still tells an emotional an inspirational story of a mother’s courage to make a change.
In its own quiet, subdued way, Shayda tells a powerful story, following a woman’s struggle against her culture’s expectations while she embraces its celebrations and traditions. It’s a beautiful film about womanhood, motherhood, and the fight for a better life for our children.
You can join Shayda and Mona on their fight for freedom when Shayda arrives in select theaters on April 5, 2024.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
|
|
|
|
