Sara (Sahar Dolatshahi) wants to attend a family wedding. Her husband has forbidden it and the Iranian society in which they live make this refusal absolute. She decides to lie and journey to the wedding with her infant child. A tragic turn of events force her to confront the terrible consequences of her actions.
The film is a very disturbing psychological drama that unfortunately can be read as a moral tale warning against disrupting the societal norm. Sara disobeys and misleads her husband and incurs terrible consequences. Arguably, had she been listened to and respected in the first place the tragic chain of events would have been entirely avoided. But it’s hard to avoid the conclusion that Sara is being punished for her impulses. It becomes fascinating to watch how far she will go to escape the horrific burden of responsibility.
Initially, the film is a family drama and is excellent as such. It establishes character, tensions and risk and gives you enough investment in Sara to care about her actions. However as the film progresses, it does undeniably indulge in melodrama, albeit very affecting melodrama. The events become slightly comical in their
The best thing about the film is the direction. Beautifully shot, excellently paced, and with a focus on tension and mood, the film may go off the rails, but is nevertheless an affecting and tragic story.
Three Stars