Shayda

This powerful and affecting drama tells the story of Shayda, who is a young Iranian mother who has immigrated to Australia. She seeks refuge with her daughter at an Australian women's shelter during the two weeks of the Iranian New Year (Nowruz) after experiencing abuse from her husband. Shayda wants to build a new life for herself and her daughter. But when a judge rules that her husband can have unsupervised access to see Mona, things become more complicated.

The acting in Shayda is excellent, especially Zar Amir Ebrahimi's performance as Shayda. The characters are well-developed and three-dimensional. The slow pacing allows time for this to happen. Shayda and Mona's characters are very compelling. The dialogue is well-written and feels authentic, particularly in the scenes when Shayda tells her story to a lawyer. It's a potent scene.

Nora Niasari's direction is strong, and the movie's verité-style intensity gives it the feel of a thriller (in terms of predictability rather than action), which adds to the tension and emotional impact of the story. The cinematography by Sherwin Akbarzadeh feels immersive, and the use of shadows and lighting adds to the film's atmosphere. The movie is also shown on screen in a tucked-in aspect ratio where the image is presented with black bars on all four sides of the screen, creating a smaller, more condensed image. This makes our experience of the story more intense and immersive because it concentrates the drama and emotion of the story. I mentioned the pacing of the movie, allowing for the development of rich three-dimensional characters. There are times, however, when the film feels a bit slow.

Shayda made me feel a range of emotions: sadness and anger at the abuse Shayda and her daughter experienced to hope and admiration for the resilience and strength that enabled them to survive and rise above their circumstances.

Shayda is not just a drama for entertainment. It tells about the struggles of Iranian women everywhere and the strength of the love of a mother for her children. The relationship between Shayda and Mona was portrayed with such authenticity and heart, and the tenderness with which Shayda nurtures and guides Mona through the complex situation they are experiencing was profoundly moving to me.

Shayada is a powerful movie, and if you are interested in stories about women's struggles and resilience, then make sure you check it out. A word of caution: the movie deals with heavy themes and may not be suitable for all audiences. Highly recommended.

Directed by Noora Niasari, Shayda narrates the experience of an Iranian immigrant (played well by Zar Amir Ebrahimi) in danger of losing her daughter to a possessive and violent husband (Osamah Sami). Supported by friends in a women's shelter run by the sympathetic Joyce (Leah Purcell), Shayda must carve out a new life for herself and her daughter Mona (Selina) free of the constraints of past. The story takes place over the celebration of the Iranian New Year (Nowruz).

The film was submitted to the Academy as Australia's entry for best International Film. It wasn't selected but it was nominated for nine AACTA awards and won for Best Casting. It's an impressive debut feature film from Niasari who won the Best Direction award from the Australian Directors Guild in 2023. Films like this have an important role to play in helping us understand the experience of migrants as well as breaking down prejudice. Broken relationships and their outcomes are common human experiences knowing no national, racial, political or religious boundaries.

Finally, an authentic representation of what life can be like for people of colour in Australia. The nuanced and complex characters make you want to go with them on their journey even when the film is over. Noora Niasari has smashed it out of the park with her debut and I can't wait to see more from this director!! The camera team has done a fantastic job to capture the sometimes dark but muted beauty of Melbourne The lead actors are phenomenal and the subtle twists and turns in the move always keep you glued to the screen. Australian film making at its finest. It would be a tragedy to miss this film in the theatres.

Shayda is an astonishing debut film. It lays bare the complex and at first subtle ways the husband tries to use and manipulate his 'beloved' wife and daughter, and the enormous resilience, strength, courage, adaptability, and intelligence the women, including the wife, the 6-year-old daughter, the shelter owner and the other women and children living there, require and display as they fight hard to preserve their joy and inner peace and retake control over their lives. The best possible performances, directing, cinematography, and writing. Incredibly inspiring and empowering despite the painful subject matter.

Sheida's Autumn" is a deeply disappointing film. The story is shallow and predictable, with no real twists or excitement. The characters lack depth and their motivations are unclear, making it hard to connect with them. The acting feels forced and unnatural, with no emotional impact. Despite these flaws, the film has won several awards, likely due to its portrayal of Iranian society through a Western lens, presenting women as victims and men as oppressive, reinforcing harmful stereotypes. It's not worth watching, offering no substance or meaningful storytelling.

And in my opinion, it doesn't deserve the recognition it has received.