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Family relationships can be so hard to manage—a mess of history and expectations and cultural pressures, too. And in The Persian Version, a young woman struggles to understand her estranged mother’s expectations and disapproval as she uncovers secrets from her parents’ past.
The Persian Version finds Leila (Layla Mohammadi), the black sheep of her big Iranian-American family, forced to face her deep-seated issues with her estranged mother after discovering that she’s pregnant. Leila’s mother, Shireen (Niousha Noor), is a strong, independent woman who has always been hard on her only daughter. But when Leila’s grandmother (Bella Warda) encourages her to write about her mother in an attempt to understand her—and reveals a long-held family secret—Leila begins to realize that she and her mother aren’t as different as they may think.
As Leila’s big, noisy family gathers to support loved ones through surgeries and wedding celebrations, Leila often finds herself on the outside, trying to avoid her mother’s constant disapproval of everything from her career to her relationships to her lifestyle. The film explores moments in their turbulent relationship as Leila replays some of the difficult moments and her desperate need for love and appreciation from her strong, hard-working mom—and while Leila can sometimes admit to her own faults and contributions to the problem, it’s still sometimes heartbreaking to watch. But, thanks to her grandmother’s revelation, she also takes the time to explore her mother’s own difficult past—and the obstacles that she had to overcome to support her husband and nine children. Leila’s reflections can be painful and challenging, but they gradually bring her to a better place in her relationship with her mother.
Of course, that’s not to say that this is a serious drama. Despite the revelations and confrontations and reflection, The Persian Version is still a pretty wild comedy, thanks to Leila’s big, crazy, close-knit family and their big personalities. The family’s antics help to break up some of the heaviness of the drama. There’s definitely a lot going on in this cultural family dramedy—and sometimes it might feel like it just tries to do too much—but the mix of wacky comedy, mother-daughter drama, and cultural touches makes it both insightful and entertaining.
The Persian Version can definitely be noisy and over-the-top at times. But in the midst of the craziness, it also tells an emotional story about mothers and daughters—and the strength of a woman who’s determined to get by.
You can meet Leila and her big, noisy family when The Persian Version expands to a wide release on November 3, 2023.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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