Shayda (Zar Amir Ebrahimi), an Iranian woman living in Australia, has fled her abusive husband, Hossein (Osamah Sami), and filed for divorce; as the film opens, it is 1995, and she has found refuge in a women’s shelter with her frightened six-year-old daughter, Mona (Selina Zahednia). As Shayda struggles to maintain normalcy for Mona, she is buoyed by the approach of Nowruz, Persian New Year, and by the possibility of a new romantic relationship with sensitive, handsome Farhad (Mojean Aria), who is unaware of her marital status. But when a judge grants Hossein visitation rights, he re-enters their life, stoking Shayda’s fear that he’ll attempt to take Mona back to Iran. Noora Niasari’s award-winning, semi-autobiographical feature debut is a beautifully crafted ode to courage and resilience.

Notes by David O’Mahony