A Good Day Will Come

Amir Zargara's A Good Day will Come asks the pertinent question that is at heart over every revolution; do you have what it takes to rebel against the regime? By framing this question within an aspiring wrestler, Amir Zargara shows the audience how even a tiniest act of resistance echoes forever. As Arash, the wrestler, prepares to take centre stage for his home country, a series of events will force him to do something drastic. The dialogue is minimal as Zargara allows the audience to fill in what he refuses to use overt exposition for. With a grim visual aesthetic and nuanced pacing, the film presents an inspiring message about standing up for what is right, and will leave you moved and inspired long after it ends.

A quietly poignant tale about courage and sacrifice in the face of brutal violence and oppression.

There's quite an interesting parallel to be drawn here between wrestling with a professional opponent and wrestling with your own morality. In both cases, if you're not quick enough, you could lose more than you can imagine. A Good Day Will Come focuses on Arash's internal wrestling match as the injustice in Iran threatens to intensify. When his family becomes affected by the political conflicts, Arash grapples with a certain responsibility to them and to his home country-the same country he proudly represents at sports tournaments.

What does it mean for the protagonist to risk everything as a public figure, dealing with the pressures of the spotlight and the duty to defend his title as a champion? Is a public statement enough to ensure he's done his part and stood his ground? In contrast, what is the risk on a personal level-to honor his dad's legacy and put his own life on the line instead of watching from the benches?

A Good Day Will Come never indulges in any spectacle, nor does it glorify the suffering of the Iranians. Amidst their country's turbulent division and savage attacks on the basic human rights of their people, this short takes an intimate, more contained approach to telling a painful story.

The camera is still. It doesn't intrude, but it lingers, unwavering at every corner, giving us enough time to look at the raw truth in the eye-the bare grief and hopelessness looming over Arash's family and many others like it. There's a sense of bleakness to the cinematography, while the somber score further amplifies the inner dread within the characters, each coping with the situation in their own way. All of those technical elements manage to fill the spaces between the scarce dialogue, working together to create a picture that can resonate with audiences on a broader level. Zargara's film poses questions about showing humanity, empathy, and a willingness to fight for what's right.

Starring Sia Alipour and Mehdi Bajestani, Amir Zargara's A Good Day will Come finds Arash, a professional wrestler, dreaming of representing his country and winning gold medals. But, his country is in turmoil and its people are suffering and Arash must decide between using his platform to stand up to tyranny, or put his head down and remain silent.

Powerful and moving, Amir Zargara's short film was inspired by the plight of Iranian wrestler Navid Afkari. Zargara chooses to highlight the moral conflict within the protagonist in a number of astute ways, and as the story progresses, we witness Arash slowly and gradually transforming from a meek bystander into something else entirely. The seeds of resistance take root in his mind and we see the wrestler change as a result, both inside and out.

The dark and shadowy cinematography alludes to the hopelessness within the narrative as powerful performances from the cast force you to take notice. Sia Alipour as Arash is a revelation, conveying his internal conflict perfectly while Mehdi Bajestani as his coach is fantastic in his own right. The narrative pacing is on point and the film never manages to drag on, courtesy of its sharp editing.

Inspiring and subliminally powerful in select moments, A Good Day will Come benefits from a poignant and original story that takes inspiration from real world events to say something powerful about the world we live in. While the film will have its share of naysayers, I think it nevertheless manages to get its message across with ease. A win for Amir Zargara, A Good Day will Come soars above the clouds as it celebrates resistance against tyranny and oppression. Four stars out of five.

Amir Zargara's powerful short is a wonderful piece of cinema. Focusing on a wrestler who has to choose between competing for his country or joining a revolution against government oppression, A Good Day will Come manages to soar far above and beyond its expectations. Zargara expertly showcases the difficult choices facing Arash as he finds himself selecting between ambition and responsibility. Our actions (or inactions) have consequences and this is what director Amir Zargara aims to apprise the audience here. The acting is fantastic, the visuals are potent and A Good Day will Come ends up being a film that not only demands your attention but also manages to move you.

A crown jewel in Iranian diaspora cinema, A Good Day will Come manages to impress in more ways than one. What begins as a story of a wrestler competing for Olympic gold turns into an act of resistance that will galvanise an entire nation. Taking inspiration from the real life story of Navid Afkari, the film finds its protagonist rising up against a government that has lost the trust of its people. Writer and director Amir Zargara places the moral dilemma front and centre as he shows how such hard choices affect both those who take them and their loved ones. The dim cinematography amplifies the story and the brisk editing keeps us on our toes. Highly recommended.