Shayda – Movie Review
Director: Noora Niasari
Writer: Noora Niasari (Screenplay)
Cast
- Zar Amir Ebrahimi (Holy Spider)
- Leah Purcell (Wentworth Prison)
- Mojean Aria (Reminiscence)
- Osamah Sami
- Lucinda Armstrong Hall (Predestination)
- Jillian Nguyen (Millie Lies Low)
- Selina Zahednia
Plot: A young Iranian mother and her six-year-old daughter find refuge in an Australian women’s shelter during the two weeks of the Iranian New Year (Nowruz).
Runtime: 1 Hour 57 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Shayda starts when an Iranian mother Shayda (Ebrabimi) has escaped to Australia with her daughter Mona (Zahednia). She has taken shelter in a specialised women’s shelter run by Joyce (Purcell). Joyce is helping Shayda prepare for an upcoming court case against her abusive husband Hossein (Sami) to give her a chance at a new life with her daughter.
As Shadya tries to start a more normal life, she finds the custody battle brings out a more determined side in Hossein. He continues to try and control her life and stop her from escaping his abusive behavior.
Verdict on Shayda
Shayda is a drama following an Iranian mother trying to escape an abusive relationship with her daughter. However, the legal system keeps her abuser around her child, and she finds a new life difficult to kickstart.
This movie is based on the traumatic experiences director Noora Niasari went through as a child. It shows the difficult measures required to escape abusive relationships as we see how confused Mona is during the journey. Away from Mona’s journey, Shayda herself deals with the need to remain strong for her daughter and the fear the abuser would return. It is a powerful, personal story that shows the difficult decisions a parent could make for a better life for their child. We get wonderful performances from the whole cast with Zar Amir Ebrabimi giving a powerhouse leading performance.
Where to Watch
SHAYDA will open in cinemas across the UK & Ireland on Friday 19th July.
Final Thoughts –Shayda is a powerful and personal triumph.
