Muslim limbo
Shayda
Directed by Noora Niasari
Certificate 15, 117 minutes
Released 19 July
An Iranian woman, Shayda (Zar Amir Ebrahimi from Holy Spider, Ali Abassi, 2022), is staying with her young daughter Mona (Selina Zahednia) in a woman’s refuge house in Brisbane run by Joyce (Leah Purcell). Shayda’s husband Hossain (Osamah Sami) came to Australia with her before they separated and has been granted visiting rights for Mona. Even though Hossain talks of taking Mona on a plane back to Iran, if Shayda wants full custody, Joyce recommends she allows Hossain the allotted time alone with his daughter in the local shopping mall.
Outside of these handovers, Shayda rarely leaves the women’s refuge… [Read the full review at Reform]
Read my longer review for this site – coming soon.
Trailer: