The Persian Version (2023)
Director: Maryam Keshavarz Run Time: 107 min. Rating: R Release Year: 2023
Starring: Bella Warda, Bijan Daneshmand, Kamand Shafieisabet, Layla Mohammadi, Niousha Noor
Country: United States
Language: English, Persian with English subtitles
About the film:
Audience Award winner, 2023 Sundance Film Festival (U.S. Dramatic)
Coming from two countries at odds with each other, Iranian-American Leila strives to find balance and embrace her opposing cultures, while boldly challenging the labels society is so quick to project upon her. When her family reunites in New York City for her father’s heart transplant, Leila navigates her relationships at arm’s length in an effort to keep her “real” life separate from her family life. However, when her secret is unceremoniously revealed, so are the distinct parallels between her life and that of her mother Shireen.
“Maryam Kesharvarz’s “The Persian Version” is an ebullient rule-breaker… a dazzling thing to witness”
—Nick Allen, Roger Ebert
Punctuated by a bright color palette, snappy comedic relief, and vibrant dance numbers, The Persian Version (2023) delivers an honest portrayal of a woman who remains unapologetically herself, blended seamlessly into a heartfelt story about family, belonging, and the undeniable influence of pop music.
About the filmmaker:
Maryam Keshavarz is a writer, director, and producer known for her universal and timely stories of the Iranian and the Iranian-American experience. Her first narrative feature, Circumstance (2011), won the Audience Award at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and the Audience & Best Actress Awards at Outfest, and her third feature The Persian Version (2023) won both the Audience Award and the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at Sundance in 2023. Her sophomore feature Viper Club (2018) had its world premiere at TIFF 2018. While pursuing her MFA at NYU/ Tisch, Maryam’s short film The Day I Died (2006) won the Gold Teddy and Jury Prize at the Berlin International Film Fest and her feature documentary, The Color of Love (2004), won Full Frame’s Spectrum Award and IDA’s David Wolper Award and was broadcast internationally.
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